Here is my day 182 submission to my 365Project:
When I'm home on Vancouver Island we regularly see harbour (or common) seals (Phoca vitulina) but, especially because I've been working mostly offshore Africa the last few years, I am not so used to seeing pinnipeds (feather footed marine mammals) while working as a marine mammal observer offshore. So, despite the fact this wouldn't be an exciting photo when I'm at home this is my first photo of a common seal, one of the two species of true seals, including the gray seal (Halichoerus grypus) living in the North Sea.
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| Common (Harbour) seal (Phoca vitulina) |
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| Juvenile gull in flight |
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| So called 'pretty litter'. We see balloons almost daily out here! One of the major contributors of marine plastic pollution...and one of my biggest pet peeves! |
What's the deal with this so called "pretty litter"? Well,when we use balloons for parties, celebrations, special events and promotions many people don't realize that when they are released they have to end up somewhere and they become pollution. Some of the impacts of balloons in the marine environment include:
- Dolphins, whales, turtles and seabirds can all be killed by balloons. Turtles especially confuse balloons for jelly fish prey
- Animals get entangled in balloon ribbons and strings which can restrict their movement and strangle them
- Swallowed balloons (and other plastics in the marine environment) block animal's guts preventing them from feeding and eventually starving to death
- Even biodegradable balloons can take months to years to break down so can still impact marine wildlife
To learn more about balloons and plastics in the marine environment (and things you can do to prevent them getting in the marine environment!) check out these webpages:
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