Inky the Whale
Sponsored by the Sea Partners program.
This is the story of Inky, a female pygmy sperm whale who
was found stranded on a New Jersey coast on Thanksgiving Day in 1993. She
was rescued with the help of volunteers from the Marine Mammal Stranding
Network and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter. Scientists at the National Aquarium
in Baltimore discovered her stomach was full of plastic debris, which was
preventing her from getting the nutrition she needed. The story of Inky
is important, because it shows how our trash impacts the environment, sometimes
far away from where we might think. Although this story has a happy ending,
many mammals, sea turtles, fish and birds die every year from eating or
becoming entangled in marine debris. The purpose of this activity book is
to teach children about the problem of trash and marine debris through the
true story of Inky. To strengthen the message of Inky's story, teach your
children about conservation methods and demonstrate to them how to reuse
and recycle products and how to reduce the amount of trash that is produced
at home and in the community. Another good way of helping is to participate
in a beach or shoreline cleanup as a family, group or class.
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