Poignant Picture Captures Seal Pup Sleeping On A Plastic Bottle

A picture of a seal pup taking a nap with its head rested on a plastic bottle has got people feeling all thoughtful.

Undeniably, the furry white baby is very cute, but its choice of pillow serves as a stark reminder of the huge problem of plastic pollution - and the threat it poses to marine animals such as seals.

The picture was snapped by 52-year-old amateur photographer, John Evered, on the beach in Horsey, Norfolk. It is believed the grey seal pup is only a matter of days old, and its umbilical cord can still be seen attached to its stomach.

The beaches of the east Norfolk village are frequented by the mammals every year as a place to give birth to young.

Mr Evered said there were hundreds of the creatures on the beach when he captured the thought-provoking pic.

According to the Daily Mail, he said: "It was such an amazing sight. There were hundreds of seals all over the beach."

KNS News

It may be tempting to make jokes about the bottle being sealed or reused - which I obviously just have - but the issue of plastic pollution is one of the greatest our planet faces.

Commenting on the picture on Facebook, one user said: "This is not a joke, people! A seal pup, newborn, is already being introduced to our pollution!

"What's in the water around it? What else is on the beach that you can't see? I doubt there was just one bottle, plastic is killing everything! I think this photo is horrific."

Another said: "This is not an amazing sight. This should sadden anyone.

"Our pollution should not be anywhere near this sweet baby. This is absolutely atrocious."

Seals frequently suffer as a result of consuming microplastics, which contain toxins that can increase the likelihood of disease. Often, seals can suffer for many years before dying as a result of the poisoning caused by the particles.

But the threat posed by plastic pollution affects us all.

Around 12.7 million tonnes of plastic end up in our oceans every year and traces of plastic are appearing in the seafood on our plates, having being mistakenly consumed by aquatic animals.

As such, plastic pollution is affecting the food chain at every level, and the extent of the danger posed by microplastic consumption in humans is not yet fully understood.

LADbible's campaign, Trash Isles, has pressured the United Nations to formally acknowledge an area of accumulative plastic trash the size of France that is polluting the Pacific Ocean.

Topics: UK News, Inspirational, trash isles, Animals

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey