More than 30 kilos of plastic, with mainly bags, were found in the stomach of a whale that was washed out on the island of Santorini last week.
According to local reports, a conducted autopsy showed the whale died of a gastric shock. The mamal was unable to digest or excrete the rubbish through its digestive system. The problem caused peritonitis inflammation in its intestines that ultimately led to the animal’s death.
This sad case highlights the problem of tonnes of plastic landing into the Aegean waters, polluting the environment and leading to death of marine life.
The body of the 9-meter long sperm whale – or Physeter macrocephalus as the scientific name is – was washed ashore on Akrotiri area on the island of Santorini in the Aegean island group of Cyclades on April 10th. The body weighting more than 7 tones was in condition of advanced sepsis.
The whale body was discovered by a local diver and a few days later the carcass was removed with the help of a small local ferry and a crane. The operation was difficult as the heavy body was at risk of dissolving due to the heavy weight and the advanced decay.
