Diver captures stunning photo of rare sea creature caught in haunting predicamen​​t: 'Seemingly oblivious to all the fuss'

A photograph of a stunning creature also captured a terrible predicament all too common in our polluted world.

What's happening?

A resident of the Philippines documented a female paper nautilus entangled with a plastic wrapper from Potchi strawberry cream gummy candies, the Cebu Daily News reported.

Jones Wayne, who has worked in the marine industry for over a decade, shot the image while guiding guests from his wife's underwater photography resort in Janao Bay, Anilao. 

"Seeing what she was holding onto was obviously garbage, I wanted to capture the full details of this to emphasize the growing issue of waste — especially plastic — polluting our oceans," he said.

"The paper nautilus calmly propelled her way along, seemingly oblivious to all the fuss."

Why is this important?

In 2019, the Philippines accounted for the most plastic waste in the ocean — nearly three times as much as India, the second-greatest polluter, according to Earth.org. The country is known for its marine biodiversity and coral reefs, and 25% of fish rely on coral reefs for food, shelter, and reproduction.

The apex of the Coral Triangle, the Philippines is home to over 500 species of coral, which is 75% of known species, but only 3% of its coral reefs were protected in 2022, National Geographic reported. By 2050, 90% of the Coral Triangle's reefs could be critically threatened by the impacts of the changing climate.

"This image that Wayne has captured serves as a subtle yet poignant reminder of the fragile balance between our oceans and the waste we leave behind," the Daily News stated. "As the ocean continues to bear the weight of our actions, it's up to us to make small, conscious changes in our daily lives — changes that can help ease its burden."

What's being done about ocean pollution?

The outlet noted that laws regarding the proper disposal of waste, especially in protected areas and those close to waterways, could help reduce plastic and other pollution in our oceans.

You can help solve this problem by swearing off single-use plastics, including water bottles, grocery bags, and food containers. Turn instead to a metal water bottle, canvas totes, and glass or silicone containers.

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"Education is always a good place to start, and with so many people in the Philippines depending on the ocean to survive, it really needs to happen ASAP," Wayne said.

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