A dead sperm whale that washed up on a Scottish beach had more than 220 pounds of tangled netting, rope, plastic and other debris inside its stomach, according to a local whale research group. The group described the mammal as about 46 feet long and weighing more than 20 tons. The debris had formed a “huge ball in the stomach” that included “bundles of rope, plastic cups, bags, gloves, packing straps and tubing,” the group said. A photo showed a fishing net laid out next to the whale. It was unclear whether the debris had contributed to the whale’s death, but it probably impaired its digestive process, Andrew Brownlow, the director of the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, said in an email on Monday.

Source: New York Times December 02, 2019 18:33 UTC