A study on plastic ingestion by two groups of cetaceans: Ziphiidae and Delphinidae

Cuvier beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) in the Alboran sea showed almost no signs of neither macro nor micro plastics. However, 95% of striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) presented some kind of plastic, with micro fibers being the main component.

Despite this, other studies have shown that, on a global scale, Cuvier beaked whales have a higher proportion of macroplastics in their digestive system than dolphins.

López-Martínez, S., Giménez-Luque, E., Molina-Pardo, J. L., Manzano-Medina, S., Arribas-Arias, H., Gavara, R., Morales-Caselles, C., & L. Rivas, M. (2023). Plastic ingestion by two cetacean groups: Ziphiidae and delphinidae. Environmental Pollution, 333, 121932. https://10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121932