Plastic hose found inside dead dolphin's stomach

Another dead dolphin with plastic in its stomach has washed ashore in Florida. The 7-foot male dolphin was recovered from Fort Myers Beach in Big Carlos Pass, according to biologists from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). 

They said the dolphin was found a few weeks ago, and a recent necropsy revealed a 24-inch hose found in the esophagus and forestomach of the animal. Samples are currently being tested to determine the exact cause of death. 

“Your actions can make a difference – secure and properly dispose of trash, take part in coastal cleanups and share information on how to reduce marine debris with others,” the FWC wrote on Facebook. 

This is the second stranded dolphin found in the last month in the area with a stomach full of plastic. In April, a female rough-toothed dolphin was found stranded on the same beach with a piece of a balloon and two plastic bags in its stomach.

That dolphin was emaciated and in poor health, so biologists at the FWC said they had to “humanely euthanize” her. 

“Please remember that marine mammals strand for a reason, often the animals are sick or injured,” the FWC wrote, urging people to alert trained experts rather than attempting to save a distressed animal themselves.

Large amounts of garbage have been found in dead sea animals around the world in recent years. In March, a dead whale with almost 100 pounds of plastic in its stomach washed up ashore in the Philippines. 

Last November, a dead whale that washed ashore in Indonesia had a large lump of plastic waste in its stomach, including 115 plastic cups and two flip-flops. In June 2018, almost 20 pounds of plastic bags and other plastic trash were pulled from the stomach of a pilot whale that died in Thailand.