This summary draws on news reports from November 2018.

What happened

A small pilot whale was found in a canal near Thailand’s border with Malaysia. Wildlife officials spent five days trying to save it. During the rescue they used floats to keep the animal upright and even shaded it with an umbrella, and the whale brought up five plastic bags. It died on a Friday.

The post-mortem

An autopsy found more than 80 plastic bags and other plastic pieces, weighing around 17 pounds, inside its stomach. A veterinarian involved described the animal as emaciated. The plastic mass had blocked its digestive system, so it could not take in food. The head of Thailand’s marine and coastal resources department said the whale probably mistook the floating bags for prey.

About pilot whales

According to a whale conservation group quoted in the coverage, pilot whales mainly eat squid but will take octopus, cuttlefish, herring and other small fish. Their teeth are for catching and holding, not chewing, and an adult can eat as much as 30 pounds a day.

A wider issue

Thailand uses large quantities of plastic bags, and the authorities have run campaigns to encourage people to use fewer and to carry reusable ones. Reusable bags and bottles are one of the simplest ways for individuals to cut waste. Learn about related accessories or return to the blog.