From the AP, Seattle Times, April 20
West Seattle, Washington: Garbage in stomach of dead whale includes sweatpants, golf ball, plastic bags, towels.
In a news release, scientists with the Cascadia Research Collective said the examination did not immediately determine why the 37-foot near-adult male died, but it was found to be in better nutritional condition than other gray whales that died recently...the animal had more than 50 gallons of material in its stomach.
Besides the pants and golf ball, the trash included more than 20 plastic bags, small towels, surgical gloves, plastic pieces and duct tape.
Last week I returned several times to "my beach" in Newport Hills, to pick up debris and photograph it. On my last visit I had to poke in the grass and horsetails inland to find trash--here it was all beer bottles and cans, mostly BudLite and Corona.
So when I read this article in yesterday's paper it felt personal, especially the "plastic pieces" part.
And now for the deep part, the eternal reminder: It's the little things, those of the least apparent consequence, that truly connect us to each other.
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