Each morning, as we sip our coffee and scroll through the news, we’re bombarded with the disturbing world realities. Today’s story, emerging from the ocean’s depths, is a stark reminder of this truth: sea turtle with a straw.

Marine biologists Nathan Robinson and Chris Figgener’s recent encounter off Costa Rica’s coast is particularly atrocious. While studying mating sea turtles, they stumbled upon a crisis—a turtle in distress, its struggle brought about by a seemingly insignificant human object.

Robinson, initially mistaking a peculiar object on the turtle for a tube worm, soon faced a jarring reality: it was a plastic straw deeply in the animal’s nostril. He saw the turtle’s labored breathing and its distress.

The faded, worn straw indicated it likely had been there for a while. The researchers painstakingly removed it. Obviously, it’s an alarm about carelessly discarded items. Fortunately, after the extraction and necessary medical care, the turtle was ready to return to its habitat.

Robinson couldn’t answer the one question: How did that plastic end up in these waters? He brings to light a wider environmental concern. You see how human waste affects marine life. This video is sad, but it makes people want to do something about it.

Through his extensive research, Robinson has seen the catastrophic effects of human debris on oceanic wildlife. Each incident, from turtles caught in ghost nets to seabirds entangled in plastic, underlines an urgent need for change.

This poor sea turtle story, though small, signifies a larger environmental crisis. Echoing Robinson’s plea, we must collectively reject single-use plastics and protect our marine life.

Say no to single-use plastics!

Sea turtle with a straw, video.

23 Ağustos 2015, Gaia Dergi