One TikToker picks trash out of the ocean and shares what she finds. One week, she found several similar items that looked like someone lost their condiments while barbecuing.
The strange things she finds on her trash-collection trips are catching people's attention. It's like a scavenger hunt, but you don't know what you'll find.
@mermaid.kayleigh What a crazy week of picking up trash out of the ocean! Were you surprised by what we found? Any OG followers remember when I found a brand new yeti cooler?! 🩵 @KaimanaOceanSafari #cleanuptheocean #ocean #marinedebris #hawaii #pickupyourtrash #marinelife ♬ Walking Around - Instrumental Version - Eldar Kedem
Kayleigh Grant (@mermaid.kayleigh) shared a video of one of her recent trips. It started out with finding what she called typical: a bucket, ghost gear — which are items that get away from a ship — and a Gatorade bottle.
Then things got interesting when she found a ketchup bottle, then a mayo bottle. She jokingly wondered where the mustard was, and then a mustard bottle showed up. After that, another ketchup bottle appeared.
Kayleigh said: "We couldn't believe it. We thought it was the weirdest coincidence ever. Then, when we found another ketchup bottle, I think I realized what was going on."
She said that finding many of the same items could mean a cargo ship dropped them.
"It's always a sad reminder how our stuff is ending up here in nature in the ocean," Kayleigh added.
According to a new study from Boston College, 10 million tons of plastic waste enter the ocean each year, killing birds and fish. Humans are digesting fish with toxic microscopic particles, which are now being found in human bodies. These poisonous particles pose a threat to human health.
Scientists have also found that coastal creatures are hitching a ride with plastic in the Pacific Ocean and being taken to environments they haven't adapted to. They can also become invasive species, damaging their new habitat's ecosystem.
One way you can help stop so much plastic from ending up in the ocean is to use less plastic. You can switch to reusable coffee mugs and water bottles and use your own shopping bags. Using less plastic is healthier for you and the creatures in the ocean.
Kayleigh is not the only one finding strange stuff in the ocean.
Another Instagram user shared one way their stuff accidentally ended up in the ocean: "The waves were a little too strong for our little boat, and didn't realize our food chest was swept off into the sea until we arrived."
Another commenter had an interesting find: "I found a shoe in the Maldives with mussels living on it."
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