Young Whale Calf Dies After Ingesting Party Balloon in North Carolina, Highlighting Dangers of Plastic Pollution

Postmortem Analysis Reveals Balloon in Gervais' Beaked Whale's Stomach, Prompting Calls for Use of Eco-friendly Alternatives to Balloons Amid Rising Marine Mammal Stranding Cases in North Carolina

A ten-foot Gervais' beaked whale calf was found dead on the shores of Emerald Isle Beach, North Carolina after ingesting a party balloon that obstructed its digestive tract.
The calf's postmortem was performed at the North Carolina State University Center for Marine Science and Technology, where the pentagonal plastic balloon was discovered crumpled in the calf's stomach.
Around 125 marine mammals, including whales, get stranded on North Carolina beaches annually due to various factors, including plastic ingestion, diseases, parasites, cancers, and human activities like fishing gear entanglement and boat strikes.
Helium balloons pose a significant threat to marine life as they can travel hundreds or thousands of miles before landing in oceans, where they may block respiratory tracts or digestive systems of marine animals if ingested, leading to suffocation or starvation.
The North Carolina State University Center for Marine Science and Technology urged the public to switch to biodegradable alternatives instead of potentially harmful plastic decorations such as balloons, to commemorate events or remember loved ones, in order to mitigate such avoidable tragedies.