Marine pollution is a problem, but people are working to clean up the oceans, as a video shared on TikTok shows.
Not all heroes wear capes, and people were grateful for these boaters' work cleaning up the ocean.
@theoceancleanup The horrific impact of ocean plastic: two turtles trapped in a single bundle of abandoned fishing gear in the Pacific Ocean, freed by crew members from partner vessel @maersk_official in December 2023. This footage was recorded by the crew of the Maersk Tender around 75 nautical miles off the coast of Mexico, as the vessel was en route to Panama following its cleaning deployment in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. @maersk_official ♬ original sound - The Ocean Cleanup
The Ocean Cleanup (@theoceancleanup) organization posted a video of boaters freeing two turtles from plastic. The boaters were off the coast of Mexico on their way to Panama when they encountered the turtles tangled up in fishing gear.
While freeing one of them, one of the boaters said: "This one has been stuck here for a long time."
It took some effort to free the first turtle, which had plastic wrapped around its fin and neck. Once it was free, it swam away. The second turtle had plastic wrapped around its backfin.
Once the turtles were free, the boaters removed the net from the water so no more turtles could get caught.
The footage was taken in December 2023 when the Maersk Tender had just done a
"cleaning deployment in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch."
According to The Ocean Cleanup, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is located between Hawaiʻi and California and is the "largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world."
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This accumulation of plastic poses health risks for humans — if a fish has consumed it and it's caught for human consumption, humans will also digest it.
Marine plastic pollution also takes an economic toll. It's estimated to cost $6-19 billion a year.
The Ocean Cleanup also noted that about "900 species have encountered marine debris, and 92% of these interactions are with plastic." Of those species, 17% are on the threatened and endangered list; 84% percent of the plastic ingested has a toxic chemical, meaning wildlife also digests that chemical.
Forty-six percent of the plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is fishing nets, like the ones from which these two turtles were caught.
You can also be a turtle hero by using less plastic. For example, you can ditch those single-use bottles and mugs for reusable ones. Less plastic will be thrown away, reducing the amount of plastic entering the oceans.
Marine plastic pollution isn't the only thing threatening sea turtles. Poachers also try to steal the eggs. The Costa Rica Coast Guard saved eggs from poachers, and 446 baby turtles were able to hatch and enter the ocean.
TikTokers were saddened by the video and also grateful for the boaters.
One user said: "This is so sad we got to do better."
Another commented: "Well done for saving these amazing animals."
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