Explorer Finds Ocean Dump Near HawaiiExplorer Finds Ocean Dump Near Hawaii

Lynn Schenkman

Honolulu -- Jean-Michel Cousteau, 65-year-old son of explorer Jacques Cousteau, has announced a discovery of hundreds of tons of plastic throughout the ocean and shorelines of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, according to news sources. Cousteau was filming a television documentary about the islands, which are 1,200 miles northwest of the main Hawaiian Islands and are mostly uninhabited.

The crew reports sightings of plastic toys, bottles and vials of medical drugs among the 60 to 70 tons of plastic on Midway Island alone. Cousteau also says seabirds are consuming and making nests from the plastic debris. They can amass up to 10 ounces of plastic in their stomachs before they die and their carcasses wash onto shore. Cousteau says the coral reefs and other sea life also are in danger. The currents near the islands create a whirlpool effect, trapping debris from several origins. Cousteau reported sightings of whiskey bottles from all over the world.