Some man-made articles are causing real trouble and tragedy for some of the oceans’ residents. Many sea animals, birds and other creatures become entangled in fishing lines, nets, plastic bags and plastic holders from six-pack cans of beverages. These often result in painful injuries, sometimes long-lasting, and even deaths. We have also heard of the damage oil spills cause to ocean and shoreline wildlife.
What is happening? Along comes a whale, porpoise or seal and, not seeing a fishing net, swims into it and is soon entangled. The more it struggles, the more it is entangled and cannot swim to the surface for needed air. The result? It drowns.
A thoughtless person in a boat throws a plastic bag overboard with a few scraps of food in it, and it eventually sinks below the surface. If it is a large bag, a seal interested in the food might poke its head into the bag and not be able to pull back out. Even a small bag might resemble a jellyfish or something else to eat. A seal or porpoise may swallow it and it sticks in its throat. In either case the victim is almost sure to die.
Naturalists have seen more than one of these ocean swimmers who have gotten a plastic holder caught around its head, but no matter how much it struggles it cannot get rid of what has become a tight collar around its neck. Climbing on a rock or lying on the sand, eventually it also dies.
When God placed man upon the earth, He made him responsible over the rest of His creatures, including the fish of the sea. Sadly, sinful man is often careless or cruel to God’s creatures. But there are kind people who spend a great deal of time freeing such victims. One group is called the Whale Hotline. They travel by boat to a captured whale, dolphin or seal on the ocean surface, gently approaching it and freeing it after hours of hard work. Sometimes it may be just one or two people who feel sorry for a trapped creature and do this job.
Sometimes a sea lion or porpoise will be found ashore with a band of plastic around its throat so that it cannot eat. Kindhearted people, with guns that do not kill but put the animals to sleep, gently cut the collar away. Waking up, the animal is free from its trap.
Let us look to God, because only He can save us from the evil nets and snares of the devil.
ML-10/23/2011