Whales Found Dead On The Beach. The Crazy Part Is What Was Found In Their Bellies.

These are the largest toothed predators on the planet and can measure up to 67 feet long.

Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common sight in today's world.

Sperm whales are offically listed as "vulnerable" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).

The past spring, literally dozens of sperm whales washed up on the shores of the North Sea.

Scientists took the tragic events as an opportunity to study how these great beasts fell to such a sad fate.

What these scientists discovered is an indictment against the way humans are treating our oceans.

Several of the whales had lots of plastic in their digestive systems.

There weren't just bits of plastic bottles and bags in the whales' bellies.

There were also car parts and boat parts found in their stomachs. Most disturbing among the scientists' discovery included a 40-foot long crabbing net and a two-foot long car engine cover.

These plastics aren't necessarily the cause of the whale's death.

How would your body behave if you had a net a quarter of the length of your body in your digestive system?

80 percent of plastic thrown away by humans ends up in the oceans.

Once in the ocean, those plastics are entering all levels of the food chain, from the smallest microbes to giant whales. We've got to look out for all of Earth's inhabitants, even those in the sea.

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