Archive for June, 2010

No More Balloon Releases

Monday, June 7th, 2010

We’ve all been to grand openings of a business or other event where one of the common ways that they celebrate is by releasing hundreds of balloons into the air. But what we don’t know is where those balloons may end up.

In 1985, a female sperm whale died because she had eaten a balloon with 3 feet of ribbon attached to it that was blocking the whale’s stomach to its intestines. It was unable to digest food and ended up starving to death.

That is only one story of a sea animal who died as a result of eating a balloon. When balloons end up in the ocean, they look like jellyfish to a turtle. When large mammals like whales swallow schools of squid or other fish, balloons may be included in what they mistake as food.

Find a more creative way of celebrating events that don’t involve releasing balloons into the air that can end up in the ocean.