The Plastic Diet: How Much Do Whales Consume?

Plastic is cheap and easy to produce, but almost impossible for nature to destroy. Chunks of plastic linger for decades, breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces. This waste then churns in the ocean in massive gyres, and whales are prone to swallowing large amounts of it. Scientists have estimated that blue whales, the largest creatures on Earth, are ingesting 10 million pieces of microplastic daily, or up to 95 pounds of plastic. Humpback whales likely consume around 4 million microplastic pieces each day, or up to 38 pounds of plastic. In March 2020, researchers pulled nearly 90 pounds of plastic waste out of the stomach of a young cuvier beaked whale that died in the Davao Gulf of the Philippines.

Blue whales swallow an estimated 95 pounds of plastic daily

Blue whales, the largest creatures on Earth, are estimated to swallow 95 pounds of plastic daily. This is equivalent to 10 million pieces of microplastic. Blue whales feed by gulping up mouthfuls of krill and other tiny creatures, and then pushing the seawater out through a bristle-like filter called a baleen. In the process, they are prone to swallowing large amounts of plastic.

Humpback whales, who also favour krill over fish, likely consume around 4 million microplastic pieces each day, or up to 38 pounds of plastic.

The root cause of these stranded, plastic-filled whales is that plastic is cheap and easy to produce but almost impossible for nature to destroy. Chunks of plastic linger for decades, breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces. This waste then churns in the ocean in massive gyres. Roughly 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year.

In March 2020, researchers pulled nearly 90 pounds of plastic waste out of the stomach of a young cuvier beaked whale that died in the Davao Gulf of the Philippines. The whale starved to death because of the plastic in its belly.

Humpback whales eat up to 38 pounds of plastic a day

Scientists have estimated the weight of plastic ingested by tracking the foraging behaviour of 65 humpback whales, 29 fin whales, and 126 blue whales that were each tagged with a camera, microphone, and GPS device. The planet's biggest creature, the blue whale, ingests the most plastic, at an estimated 10 million pieces per day.

The root cause of these stranded, plastic-filled whales is that plastic is cheap and easy to produce but almost impossible for nature to destroy. Chunks of plastic linger for decades, breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces. This waste then churns in the ocean in massive gyres. Roughly 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year.

In March 2020, researchers pulled nearly 90 pounds of plastic waste out of the stomach of a young cuvier beaked whale that died in the Davao Gulf of the Philippines. The whale starved to death because of the plastic in its belly.

Plastic waste is rapidly accumulating in the world's oceans

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is rapidly accumulating plastic, and plastic pollution has become a global crisis. Billions of pounds of plastic can be found in swirling convergences that make up about 40% of the world's ocean surfaces. At current rates, plastic is expected to outweigh all the fish in the sea by 2050.

Plastic is cheap and easy to produce but almost impossible for nature to destroy. It breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, churning in the ocean in massive gyres. This waste is ingested by marine life, including whales, who are prone to swallowing large amounts of plastic when they feed. Blue whales, the largest creatures on Earth, are estimated to ingest 10 million pieces of microplastic daily, while humpback whales likely consume around 4 million pieces each day.

The impact of plastic pollution on marine life is devastating. Thousands of seabirds, sea turtles, seals, and other marine mammals are killed each year after ingesting plastic or getting entangled in it. Critically endangered Hawaiian monk seals and endangered Steller sea lions are among the species affected by plastic debris in their habitats.

Plastic is cheap and easy to produce but almost impossible for nature to destroy

Whales are ingesting huge amounts of plastic. Blue whales, the largest creatures on Earth, are estimated to be swallowing 10 million pieces of microplastic daily. Humpback whales likely consume around 4 million microplastic pieces each day, or up to 38 pounds of plastic. In March 2019, a young cuvier beaked whale died in the Davao Gulf of the Philippines with nearly 90 pounds of plastic waste in its stomach. The whale starved to death because its stomach was full of plastic, not food.

The root cause of these stranded, plastic-filled whales is the plastic waste rapidly accumulating in the world's oceans. Whales feed by gulping up mouthfuls of krill and other tiny creatures and then pushing the seawater out through a bristle-like filter called a baleen. In the process, they are prone to swallowing large amounts of plastic.

Scientists have been tracking the foraging behaviour of whales carrying tracking devices to better understand how much plastic they are consuming. They found that whales predominantly feed 50 to 250 meters below the surface, a depth that coincides with the highest concentrations of microplastic in the open ocean.

A whale in the Philippines starved to death because its stomach was full of plastic

Blue whales, the largest creatures on Earth, are estimated to ingest 10 million pieces of microplastic daily. All three types of whales—humpback, fin, and blue—feed by gulping up mouthfuls of krill and other tiny creatures and then pushing the seawater out through a bristle-like filter called a baleen. In the process, they are prone to swallowing large amounts of plastic.

In March 2019, a young cuvier beaked whale died in the Davao Gulf of the Philippines. Researchers pulled nearly 90 pounds of plastic waste out of its stomach. The whale starved to death because its stomach was full of plastic, not food. It had been vomiting blood and listing badly as it swam.

The findings prompted renewed calls for the Philippines government to take action against people dumping plastic into the sea. The Philippines is the third-worst polluter of the oceans, after China and Indonesia. Together with Vietnam and Thailand, these countries account for up to 60% of the plastic waste that ends up in the oceans.

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