A Plastic Problem for Pilot Whales
In A Plastic Problem for Pilot Whales, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes the grim effects plastic pollution has had on short-finned pilot whales. Because this species lives in tight-knit families, the negative effects of pollution on one whale is felt by the others. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
Lesson Express
Q: In any given year, how much plastic ends up in the ocean?
A: An average of 8 million tons of plastic lands in the ocean each year.
Q: Where do you think the majority of plastic pollution in the ocean comes from?
A: Plastic pollution can come from industrial and manufacturing waste, mismanaged residential trash, litter, runoff from our cities, and more.
Q: Why is plastic pollution expected to affect the pilot whale species for generations to come?
A: An increasing number of pilot whales are getting poisoned or sickened by pollution, decreasing this species’ numbers. Additionally, a mother who is sickened by pollution can pass this to her offspring, who may not survive due to these pollutants.
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