THE WILDFIRE DANGER IN L.A. COMING TO A CLOSE THERE AT THE FAMED GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY.
SIX ACRES WERE BURNED.
THIS MONTH PROVING TO BE
DEADLY FOR TWO ENDANGERED
SPERM WHALES BEACHING
THEMSELVES
THEMSELVES.
THEMSELVES THEMSELVES. >> THE ADULT MALE APPARENTLY
WAS KILLED BY SOMETHING A LOT
MORE INSIDIOUS.
THE DEADLY RESULTS OF OUR
ADDICTION TO PLASTIC IS
TONIGHT’S DON’T TRASH OUR
TREASURE.
>> IT WAS A SIGHT TO BEHOLD.
WHAT WAS ONCE A 47 FOOT
MAJESTIC SPERM WHALE NOW BEING
DEVOURED BY HUNGRY SHARKS OFF
BIG PINE KEY.
>> I WAS AMAZED JUST SEEING
THE SHARKS THERE, THE DECAYING
WHALE.
BRINGS IN SHARKS FROM
EVERYWHERE.
>> BIG, HUGE TIGERS SEEN
FEASTING ON THE DEAD WHALE FOR
DAYS.
WILD LIFE OFFICIALS DRAGGED
THE CARCASS BACK OUT TO SEA
AFTER THE GIANT MAMMAL BEACHED
ITSELF 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF
KEY WEST LAST TUESDAY.
>> THAT WHALE HAS BEEN
FLOATING OUT THERE FOR QUITE
SOME TIME.
>> THE VIDEOS TAKEN BY BOAT
CAPTAINS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL
DAYS.
CAPTAIN JACK CARLSON, OWNER OF
THE FLEET, COULDN’T BELIEVE
THE IMAGES HIS CREW WAS
SHARING WITH HIM.
>> IT’S JUST SAD TO SEE THEM
LIKE THAT FLOATING ON THE
WATER.
>> WHAT’S EVEN WORSE, THE
WHALE WAS MOST LIKELY KILLED
BY HUMAN POLLUTION STRANDED IN
THE SHALLOW WATERS OF THE GULF
LAST TUESDAY, THE ADULT MALE
WAS ONE OF TWO ENDANGERED
SPERM WHALES FOUND DEAD IN
FLORIDA KEY WATERS IN 7 DAYS.
IT WAS BROUGHT TO ROBBIE’S
MARINA WHERE STATE AND LOCAL
BIOLOGISTS PERFORMED A
NECROPSY.
LOOK WHAT WAS FOUND INSIDE
THAT POOR ANIMAL.
THE WHALE "HAD A MASSIVE
INTERTWINED LINE, NET PIECES
AND A PLASTIC BAG TYPE
MATERIAL IN ITS STOMACH."
THIS DEBRIS LIKELY DID NOT
ALLOW THE WHALE TO EAT
PROPERLY, LEADING TO ITS
EMACIATED CONDITION AND
STRANDING.
>> UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN ANIMALS
CONSUME OUR TRASH, THEY CAN’T
BREAK IT DOWN IN THEIR
STOMACHS AND THEY FILL UP AND
ACTUALLY THINK THEY’RE FULL SO
THEY CAN END UP STARVING.
>> DEBRIS FREE OCEANS IS ONE
OF SEVERAL OCEAN CONSERVATION
ORGANIZATIONS ADVOCATING TO
REDUCE GLOBAL PLASTIC WASTE.
EVERY YEAR, 8 MILLION METRIC
TONS OF PLASTICS ENTER OUR
OCEAN.
THAT’S ON TOP OF THE ESTIMATED
150 MILLION METRIC TONS
ALREADY THERE.
>> WE’VE ACTUALLY PICKED UP
2,000 POUNDS OF TRASH BETWEEN
ALL OF OUR REEF CLEAN UPS OUT
HERE IN MIAMI OVER THE LAST
FOUR YEARS.
SOME SITES WE FIND 130 POUNDS.
>> IT IS KILLING OUR MARINE
LIFE.
AND WE’RE SEEING IT HAPPEN
MORE AND MORE IN REALTIME.
>> WE SEE THE ANIMALS AND THE
EFFECTS.
THEY’RE CHOKING, GETTING
STRANGLED AND TANGLED IN THESE
ITEMS AND IT’S HEART BREAKING.
>> IN THE PAST 17 MONTHS
ALONE, WE’VE SHOWN YOU TWO
SEPARATE INCIDENTS OF BISCAYNE
BAY DOLPHINS BECOMING ENSNARED
IN CARELESSLY DISCARDED
FISHING LINE AND NETTING.
>> WATCH OUT, SHE’S CAUGHT IN
A NET.
>> DOLPHINS THAT WOULD HAVE
MOST CERTAINLY DIED HAD THEY
NOT BEEN RESCUED BY GOOD
HUMANS WHO HAPPEN TO BE IN THE
RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME.
>> HOLD ON, BABY.
HOLD ON, BABY.
HOLD ON.
COME ON.
GO AHEAD, GIRL.
>> BUT THERE WAS NO HERO TO
SAVE THIS WHALE FROM CONSUMING
THAT DEBRIS.
THAT’S ON ALL OF US.
UNTIL WE DO BETTER AND
DRAMATICALLY REDUCE OUR
PLASTIC FOOTPRINT, TRAGIC
SCENES LIKE THIS WILL CONTINUE
TO PLAY OUT.
>> YOU GUYS ARE OUT THERE IN
THE WATER AND YOU SEE A PIECE
OF TRASH, WHETHER IT’S A
BALLOON, FLOATING BOTTLE,
DEBRIS, JUST PICK IT UP.
WE DO IT EVERY DAY DOWN HERE.
THE FLORIDA KEYS GUIDES VALUE
OUR WATERS DOWN HERE.
KEEP OUR OCEANS CLEAN.
>> WE MUST DO BETTER.
FWC SAYS FINAL NECROPSY
RESULTS WILL BE RELEASED ONCE
TISSUE FROM THE DEAD WHALE IS
ANALYZED.
THE MATERIAL FOUND IN ITS
STOMACH WILL BE SENT OUT TO
DETERMINE ITS TYPE AND WHERE
IT MIGHT HAVE COME FROM.
FOR MORE INFO ON DEBRIS FREE
OCEANS AND HOW YOU CAN JOIN
THEIR MISSION OF CLEANING UP
OUR OCEAN AND REEFS, SCAN THE