Articles & Resources

Balloons and Their Danger to Wildlife
By Melanie Pearson, Director of Animal Care

Inky, the Pygmy Sperm whale, was discovered stranded on the New Jersey coast on Thanksgiving Day 1993.  She was flown to the National Aquarium in Baltimore where rehabilitators and veterinarians were flummoxed as to the cause of the whale’s lack of appetite and lethargy until further studies showed a blockage in Inky’s stomach.  Several endoscopies removed three square feet of plastic from the whale’s stomach and intestines, the largest piece being a mylar balloon.  Within hours, Inky’s appetite and attitude returned.  Inky was released off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida, in 1994.

Inky’s trials helped to pass legislation in Maryland limiting the release of balloons in the state.  Several other states, including Connecticut, have similar laws (in the state of Connecticut it is illegal to release more than 10 helium or lighter-than-air gas-filled balloons in a 24-hour period), and for good reason.

With a favorable wind, a balloon released outdoors can travel hundreds of miles away from its release point. The balloon does not simply disappear, at some point it will pop and make its way back to the ground and become litter. While balloon manufacturers argue that balloon litter is minor, environmental groups will report large numbers of balloons and balloon pieces collected in organized clean ups. 

I personally participated in a beach clean-up of a 2 mile stretch of Long Island Sound where my group collected thirty large garbage bags full of deflated balloons in one afternoon. Balloon manufacturers will argue that latex balloons biodegrade at the same speed as an oak leaf.  What they don’t tell you is that it can take an oak leaf up to four years to degrade, and that is only under the right conditions. When latex balloons land in salt water they will biodegrade at a much slower rate giving them more time to injure local marine life.

While balloons are litter no matter where they eventually land, they cause more severe problems when they land on beaches and in water. Balloons floating on the surface of the Long Island Sound look like jellyfish to marine animals and are often consumed. Latex and mylar balloons have been found in the digestive tract of many sea turtles, whales, and seals and are believed to have contributed to the death of many of these animals.

While latex balloons are considered to be non-toxic, they will accumulate, along with other plastic debris, in an animal’s stomach and intestines often blocking the passage of food and causing the animal to starve to death.  The balloons themselves are not the only problem for wildlife though.  The ribbons and strings attached to balloons have been found wrapped around the necks and beaks of shorebirds and nestlings causing strangulation and starvation.

In light of the damage errant balloons can do, the New Canaan Nature Center does not allow balloons at our birthday parties or outdoor events.  Please consider following in our footsteps and using banners or flags to attract attention to your business or event.  You can help eliminate balloon litter by using these guidelines:

• If you do choose to use balloons, properly tie or weigh down balloons when traveling with them outdoors to prevent escapes.
• Never tie balloons to other balloons, tie each balloon individually to a secure surface.  That way, if one balloon escapes it makes its journey solo instead of with company.
• When your balloon deflates, put it securely in the trash.
• If you see balloon litter, pick it up and put it in the trash.
• Report any mass balloon releases to the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.
• Organize a beach clean-up.

For more information about Inky the whale, visit: http://www.aqua.org/oceanhealth_pygmyspermwhale.html

For more information about the effects of balloons on the environment, visit:
http://www.longwood.edu/cleanva/balloons.htm

http://www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/wildlife/pdf_files/outreach/connecticut_wildlife_magazine/cwja04.pdf