Listen to the dead whale's wake-up call
Greenpeace creates sculpture of a dead whale out of plastic waste, calling attention to the effects of dumping rubbish into the ocean.
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The 50-foot whale, constructed from waste such as bags, containers and bottles, was created by environmental NGO Greenpeace Philippines as part of efforts to encourage the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to address the problem of plastic pollution.
As well as attracting the attention of passersby, images of the sculpture on the coast of Naic township, Cavite province, have been shared widely on social media, sparking conversation on the issue.
An online petition accompanying the installation calls on ASEAN nations to "act to protect the oceans from plastic and marine debris."
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The petition notes that the ocean is filled with 275 million tons of plastic, and cites a 2015 study that named five ASEAN member states - Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia - as some of the world's worst offenders "due to their lengthy coastlines and high plastic usage."
"With the Philippines as chair of this year's ASEAN Summit, this is an opportune time to call on the ASEAN member states to take concrete measures against plastics pollution in the high seas to stop environmental degradation and dwindling of marine life in the region," it says.
As of Friday lunchtime, the petition had almost hit its goal of 4,000 signatures from people supporting calls for ASEAN to "work together to set appropriate regulations and encourage businesses to take responsibility for their environmental impact and consumers to take action."
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GLOUCESTER CITY, N.J. (AP) — After a dead whale was found on the bow of a container ship docked in New Jersey, authorities were working Tuesday to remove the carcass and determine the endangered animal's cause of death.
The Marine Mammal Stranding Center, a New Jersey-based animal rescue service, said in a social media post that the whale was reported Sunday by the U.S. Coast Guard at the Gloucester Marine Terminal. The port is at the base of the Walt Whitman Bridge linking New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The center said in a follow-up post Tuesday that it was working to tow the carcass away in order to conduct a necropsy and determine how the whale died.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday confirmed its enforcement office has opened an investigation into the death but declined to comment further. It said anyone with information about the dead whale should call the agency's hotline.
The deceased animal is believed to be a fin whale between 25 to 30 feet long (7.6 to 9.1 meters), the center said. The endangered species is known to swim in waters from southern New Jersey to the New York City area.
Populations of the massive mammals have gradually recovered in the Atlantic Ocean thanks to conservation efforts after becoming nearly extinct from commercial hunting. All dolphins, porpoises and whales are protected by the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, which makes touching, feeding or otherwise harming them illegal.
Fin whales are the second-largest animals behind the blue whale. Fully grown, they can reach up to 85 feet (25.9 meters) long and weigh between 40 and 80 tons (36.3 and 72.6 metric tons).
The giant mammals are found throughout the world and are threatened by ship strikes, fishing gear entanglements and the effects of climate change, among other challenges.
This photo provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, shows a deceased whale caught on the bow of a ship at Gloucester Marine Terminal in Gloucester City, N.J., Jan. 2026. (NOAA Office of Law Enforcement via AP)
