Most of these balloons are those falsely marketed by the balloon industry as “biodegradable latex.” All photos were taken by Balloons Blow on Hutchinson Island, Florida, USA – unless otherwise noted. All photos with citations may be used for education purposes.
Balloons Blow Gallery 2
Australian fur seal
A juvenile Australian fur seal wounded by a balloon & its nylon string. He was rescued & released, hopefully he will survive. Seals are inquisitive creatures that often are killed by encountering released balloons in their habitat.
Northern Fur Seal
A Northern fur seal who got lucky and was relieved of her ribbon before it killed her. Her name was “Cinta”, and she was rescued by The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California.
Photo: Sue Pemberton
Photo: Sue Pemberton
Guadalupe Fur Seal
This is a rare Guadalupe Fur Seal that was found dead and tethered in balloon ribbon at Pillar Point in Half Moon Bay, CA.
Photo: Sue Pemberton
Photo: Sue Pemberton
Osprey carrying balloons and ribbons
Huntington Beach, California – “There were a bunch of ribbons washed up on the beach from a storm and this osprey was picking them up for nesting material.”
Photo by: W. Miller
Photo by: W. Miller
Osprey chick with Mylar balloon
Osprey bringing a balloon to its nest
Photo: George Cevera
Osprey with latex balloon
Photo: Sean Keenan, Long Island, New York
Osprey with balloons and ribbon
Photo by: W. Miller – Newport Beach, California
Young sea turtle
Photo: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Loggerhead hatchling with Latex balloons
A loggerhead hatchling swims through balloon debris.
Photo from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Photo from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Dead bird tangled in balloons and ribbon
Photo: Ocean Conservancy
Entangled beak
Bird killed by trying to consume a latex balloon, its beak entangled in the cotton string.
From:
BC SPCA
Shearwater full of plastic and latex balloons
“This young shearwater had a large amount of plastic in both its proventriculus and gizzard. It had died of starvation which probably resulted from the ingestion of plastic. The purple lumpy bits you can see is semi-digested squid that was prevented from continuing along its digestive tract.”
Photo: Lauren Roman
Photo: Lauren Roman
Shearwater likely starved by latex balloon
“More orange balloon in another shearwater’s proventriculus. Often I find undigested food in the esophagus of birds with balloons in their proventriculus, and I suspect the balloon is blocking the passage of food and causing them to starve.”
Photo: Lauren Roman
Photo: Lauren Roman
Latex balloon pieces from dead Shearwater
Stomach contents of a shearwater, including balloon pieces.
Photo: Lauren Roman
Photo: Lauren Roman
Latex balloon in dead southern giant petrel
Lauren Roman extracting a yellow balloon from the gizzard of a southern giant petrel.
Photo: Caroline Gardam – Plastic Bag Free QLD
Photo: Caroline Gardam – Plastic Bag Free QLD
Merganser
This merganser was found entangled in balloons & their ribbons along the mouth of Petticoat Creek. In the thawing waters there were many diving ducks, this one lost its life due to someone’s thoughtlessness. “It’s a boy” reads the balloons.
Photo: D. Prendergast – Petticoat Creek Ontario Canada
Photo: D. Prendergast – Petticoat Creek Ontario Canada
Northern Giant Petrel
A Northern Giant Petrel, (a very large pelagic seabird), now listed as an endangered species, was presented with a ribbon hanging from its beak. The big bird was near death. Suspecting the ribbon was attached to a balloon, volunteers were initially unsuccessful in removing the balloon, when the ribbon broke.
However, after rejoining the ribbon, and tubing some paraffin oil into the bird, the orange balloon was removed from the intestines of the bird. Within several minutes of the operation, the bird consumed almost one kilogram of fish, and was eventually released.
Australian Seabird Rescue
Australian Seabird Rescue
Razorbill killed by balloon
Bird wrapped in balloon and string. Notice the plastic piece in the balloon.
Photo: Christina McGuinness
Photo: Christina McGuinness
Bird found with balloon
This swift was found with a latex balloon around its neck. Thankfully this women found it and was able to save it.
From:
http://flyintheface.blogspot.com/
Platypus killed by balloon
A dead platypus at Ruffey Creek (a tributary of the Yarra River) in Melbourne with a balloon string around its neck.
Photo: S. Mason
Photo: S. Mason
Osprey chick
Ribbon around leg of 2- to 3-week-old Osprey chick.
The New Jersey Osprey Project
The New Jersey Osprey Project
Dead green sea turtle & balloons
Small dead green sea turtle washed up on the sound side of Buxton, in the eel grass with a bunch of balloons & ribbons.
E. Fox, Hatteras Island Ocean Center, North Carolina
E. Fox, Hatteras Island Ocean Center, North Carolina
Kemp’s ridley after ingesting a balloon
This juvenile kemp’s ridley attempted to ingest a balloon along with several yards of nylon ribbon. Luckily the ribbon & balloon were removed & the turtle was able to be released.
Photo: Mote Marine Laboratory
Horse Killed
A beautiful horse had to be put down after its encounter with balloons...
Glory, a 5 year old mare, suffered greatly after the balloons fell into her paddock at night & she bolted into the fence 🙁
Balloons, taking the life of another innocent creature.
Cocky nibbling on latex balloon
Photo Credit: Matthew Dwyer
East Fremantle WA Australia
A dolphin swims by mylar balloons offshore California
Photo: Shane Keena
Dolphin swims by a mylar balloon offshore California
Photo: B. White