Baby reef shark slowly suffocates after becoming entangled in a plastic slip-on shoe dumped off the coast of Grand Cayman

A small reef shark slowly suffocated and starved to death when it was just a month old after it became stuck in a plastic sandal dumped off the coast of Grand Cayman in the Caribbean.

A September 20 Facebook post from the Cayman Islands Ministry of Environment revealed that the baby animal was discovered by a concerned member of the public.

Amy Stratton found the shark on a beach in South Sound, an area known for its crystal blue waters and luxurious mansions.

A post-mortem examination was conducted by Dr. Johanna Kohler, a marine biologist and Shark Project Officer for the Cayman Islands Government, who determined that the animal had died of asphyxiation.

Photos showed the baby shark trapped in a black sandal that crushed the center of its body. The plastic shoe was about a third the size of the animal.

Examination of the stomach contents showed that the animal had not eaten for a while, there was only a worm and some sand in it.

Plastic litter is a widespread problem on Grand Cayman. Islanders noted that they often saw shoe parts washed up on the beach

The baby had clearly become entangled in the sandal, preventing it from swimming and covering its gills.

“This stopped the flow of water over the gills and therefore oxygen uptake,” the report said.

Kohler noted that the shark was a male, just over two feet long, with a clearly visible navel.

Because Caribbean reef sharks are about the same size at birth, Kohler concluded that the shark was probably born in late July or early August, making it about a month old at the time of death.

An examination of the stomach contents revealed only sand and a small worm, which showed that the shark had not eaten recently.

At full maturity, Caribbean reef sharks to grow up to 8 to 8 feet long and can live more than 14 years.

They are found near coral reefs and have a peculiar habit of sleeping on the bottom of the seabed and in caves.

The species is listed as ‘near threatened’ on the IUCN Red List, which tracks the extinction risk status of animals, fungi and plants.

“I was living in Cayman in 2020 and every bag of trash I picked up at Barkers was mostly shoe parts,” wrote Christine Jamieson in response to news of the shark’s death

“Last year we did a beach cleanup on the south side and I was amazed at how many shoes washed up,” another resident noted

Fortunately, local organizations like Plastic Free Cayman want to educate the public about plastic pollution on the islands

The volunteer-led group organizes beach clean-up events and ‘boot camps’ for young people interested in helping with restoration efforts

The declining numbers are caused by the demand for the shark’s meat and fins. Commercial fishermen in U.S. waters are prohibited from killing this species.

In comments under the post, people expressed concern about the amount of litter on the island, with some expressing a sense of hopelessness.

“I was living in Cayman in 2020 and every bag of trash I picked up at Barkers was mostly shoe parts,” one woman wrote, sharing a photo of the trash she found.

“Last year we did a beach cleanup on the south side and I was amazed at how many shoes washed up,” one man wrote. ‘The question is: what can we do about it?’

There are a estimated 50 to 75 trillion pieces of plastic and microplastics in the ocean. Because plastic does not decompose, it breaks into smaller pieces or forms into giant shapes garbage places.

It is also consumed by marine animals. Last November, more than 700 pounds of waste was found in the belly of a whale off the coast of Nova Scotia.

The creature is said to have died a “slow and painful death” after consuming 115 plastic cups, four plastic bottles, 25 plastic bags, two slippers, a nylon bag and more than a thousand other plastic pieces.

If current trends continue, the material is expected to be larger than all the fish in the sea by 2050.

The organization posts photos of the objects found during the clean-up work. This includes bottles and bottle caps, clothes hangers, snack packaging and small pieces of plastic, also known as microplastics

One person even found a discarded cigarette lighter among the rock pools

“Global plastic pollution is horrific and we are not immune to it on our island paradise,” according to the Plastic Free Cayman website

In November 2022, a whale in Canada was found to have eaten more than 330 kilos of waste, leading to its death

Scientists in California have created a shoe from biodegradable material that could feed ocean animals

Fortunately, concerned community members are doing their part and have begun cleaning up trash on Grand Cayman.

Plastic Free Cayman is a group that organizes beach clean-up events and aims to educate the public about the dangers of plastic.

Volunteers have recovered items ranging from sneakers to coat hangers and cigarette lighters.

“Global plastic pollution is horrific and we are not immune to it on our paradise island,” the organization’s website states. ‘It takes global efforts and local action to make a difference.

‘Making changes starts with all of us.’

New technology has emerged to tackle the problem, including a biodegradable shoe from scientists at the University of California San Diego. Once broken down, the materials are designed to provide nutrients to marine animals.