A diver who made a simple gesture shared the life-saving act on social media, passing on two valuable tips that we can all take to heart to ensure a sustainable future.
Shark and ocean conservationist Andy (@andriana_marine) grabbed some trash out of otherwise-beautiful blue waters while exploring the depths in 2021.
@andriana_marine #ocean #plastic #dive #fish #SwitchTheChobaniFlip // @oneoceandiving_ ♬ Pieces (Solo Piano Version) - Danilo Stankovic
The TikToker then shared a short video in which they freed an animal from a huge piece of plastic.
"I saw that there was a small little fish actually trapped inside of the plastic," Andy said. "… Minimize your plastic use to help protect the ocean."
"This makes me so sad," a commenter said. "We need to do better."
"I literally thought it was a jellyfish for a second," another commenter wrote, echoing others. "Can only imagine what turtles confuse for food."
Turtles and other marine animals are indeed at great risk of ingesting such garbage. Plastic is a big issue, and so is fishing gear. But even a seemingly harmless toy such as a flying disc can be deadly.
That's why it's so important for us to focus on Andy's second step. If we minimize our plastic consumption, that will minimize how much reaches the ocean.
Since that figure is a staggering 1 million metric tons (even though only 0.5% of the plastic we produce gets that far), according to The Ocean Cleanup, it will take massive movement from corporations and governments as well as individuals.
The other effective action is to clean up. No matter if you're the one responsible for the litter or not, you can always grab a piece, handful, or bagful of plastic when you're on the water.
Better yet, you can do this anywhere. Since plastic reaches our oceans from land, picking up trash while you're walking in your neighborhood or on a scenic hike can save lives before they become hopelessly trapped.
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