“According to Cascadia Research Collective, 50 gallons of stomach contents were sorted through. Most of it was real food – algae and other bits common to a gray whale diet – but also included were more than 20 plastic bags, small towels, surgical gloves, sweat pants, plastic pieces, duct tape, and a golf ball.

If there were any doubt before, there is none now – the ocean has become a landfill. However, if there’s a bit of a silver lining, the trash made up just about 2% of the total contents, and it doesn’t seem to have been the cause of death. But what Cascadia Research points out, “It did clearly indicate that the whale had been attempting to feed in industrial waters and therefore exposed to debris and contaminants present on the bottom in these areas.”  Tree Hugger

Ok, maybe not he cause of death, but none the less interesting that the whale was vacuuming along in Puget Sound and gathering such diverse stuff. I imagine the guy hitting golf balls from his roof top condo had no idea his pilfered driving range ball would end up in a whale’s stomach.