Idyllic Caribbean island has been ruined by rubbish

A distressing set of photographs from the Caribbean have shed a light on just how big a problem plastic pollution in the ocean has become.

Beaches in Honduras are being choked by a solid mass of bottles, wrappers and other recyclable waste turning the once-idyllic island into a floating landfill site. 

In one of the photographs, a diver can be seen wading his way through the rubbish and in another a man on horseback grimaces as he looks down at the wrecked beach below him. 

It comes hot off the heels of the BBC documentary Blue Planet II fronted by Sir David Attenborough which highlighted plastic’s devastating effect on our oceans and poisoning sea creatures. 

Plastic waste floating off the coast of Roatan, Honduras. Underwater photographer Caroline Power found the plastic blanket of forks, bottles and rubbish 15 miles off the coast of Roatan heading towards the Cayos Cochinos Marine Reserve. A diver can be seen here wading through the mess

A distressing set of photographs from the Caribbean have shed a light on just how big a problem plastic pollution in the ocean has become. A diver here looks out at the solid mass of recyclable rubbish

A distressing set of photographs from the Caribbean have shed a light on just how big a problem plastic pollution in the ocean has become. A diver here looks out at the solid mass of recyclable rubbish

A man rides his horse amidst garbage at Omoa beach, Cortes department, Honduras. He can be seen grimacing down at the wrecked beach below him

A man rides his horse amidst garbage at Omoa beach, Cortes department, Honduras. He can be seen grimacing down at the wrecked beach below him

How the waters off Roatan should look: The Daily Mail has long campaigned to end the scourge of dumped plastic

How the waters off Roatan should look: The Daily Mail has long campaigned to end the scourge of dumped plastic

It is thought the rubbish was washed into the sea from nearby Guatemala, carried on rivers swollen by the recent rainy season flowing through towns and villages.

The sight disgusted photographer Caroline Power, who shared the images online to raise awareness of the problem. 

She wrote: ‘This has to stop – think about [the plastic you use in] your daily lives.’

John Hourston, of the Blue Planet Society, which campaigns to protect the oceans, said it was the worst example of plastic pollution he has seen.

The ominous mass of plastic stretches out into the sea off the coast of Honduras. It comes after the BBC's Blue Planet II documentary fronted by Sir David Attenborough highlighted once again the perils of plastic in our oceans

The ominous mass of plastic stretches out into the sea off the coast of Honduras. It comes after the BBC’s Blue Planet II documentary fronted by Sir David Attenborough highlighted once again the perils of plastic in our oceans

The plastic waste floats in the ocean off the coast of Honduras. It is thought the rubbish washed into the sea from nearby Guatemala

The plastic waste floats in the ocean off the coast of Honduras. It is thought the rubbish washed into the sea from nearby Guatemala

Floating masses of garbage offshore from some of the Caribbean's pristine beaches are testimony to a vast and growing problem of plastic pollution heedlessly dumped in our oceans, locals, activists and experts say.  A man is pictured on a wet and windy day under his umbrella walking close to the waves as the rest of the beach is besieged with rubbish

Floating masses of garbage offshore from some of the Caribbean’s pristine beaches are testimony to a vast and growing problem of plastic pollution heedlessly dumped in our oceans, locals, activists and experts say.  A man is pictured on a wet and windy day under his umbrella walking close to the waves as the rest of the beach is besieged with rubbish

Plastic bottles, wrappers, sponges, plastic lids and latex gloves are seen in amongst the driftwood on Omoa beach

Plastic bottles, wrappers, sponges, plastic lids and latex gloves are seen in amongst the driftwood on Omoa beach

Two young boys play amidst garbage at Omoa beach, Cortes department, Honduras, as they jump barefoot on the plastic bottles

Two young boys play amidst garbage at Omoa beach, Cortes department, Honduras, as they jump barefoot on the plastic bottles

A mass of recyclable plastic waste floating off the coast of Roatan, Honduras, where the beaches are becoming ruined

A mass of recyclable plastic waste floating off the coast of Roatan, Honduras, where the beaches are becoming ruined

He pointed out that plastic gets broken down into microscopic particles that enter the food chain when plankton and fish eat them.

He added: ‘It is thought that 90 per cent of sea birds have ingested some sort of plastic, and there are many examples of turtles and whales mistaking plastic for food. 

‘We all have a part to play in reducing plastic waste but manufacturers and government need to take the lead. It’s a global problem which needs a global solution.’

The Daily Mail has long campaigned to end the scourge of dumped plastic. 

The ‘Banish the Bags’ campaign led to a huge reduction in single-use plastic bags at supermarkets, and now we are calling for a deposit scheme on plastic bottles. 

‘In a major victory for our ‘Ban The Beads’ campaign, last year ministers pledged to outlaw toxic microbeads which are poisoning our seas.

A white heron stands in the shallows hunting for fish. On land, the blackened sand is littered with pieces of plastic and driftwood 

A white heron stands in the shallows hunting for fish. On land, the blackened sand is littered with pieces of plastic and driftwood 

A man using a blanket as an umbrella shields himself from heavy rain on the beach in Honduras

Driftwood and plastic have mixed to create a rubbish swamp

A man using a blanket as an umbrella shields himself from heavy rain on the beach in Honduras (left) where driftwood and plastic have mixed to create a rubbish swamp (right) 

Filthy: A diver grimaces as he prepares to jump into the sea covered with plastic rubbish near Roatan, an island off the coast of Honduras

Filthy: A diver grimaces as he prepares to jump into the sea covered with plastic rubbish near Roatan, an island off the coast of Honduras

Waste: Disposable cutlery and other rubbish trapped in seaweed. It is thought it was washed into the sea from nearby Guatemala, carried on rivers swollen by the recent rainy season

Waste: Disposable cutlery and other rubbish trapped in seaweed. It is thought it was washed into the sea from nearby Guatemala, carried on rivers swollen by the recent rainy season

Dark waters: Another picture, taken from below the waterline, shows plastic bottles, bags and other rubbish on the surface blocking out sunlight

Dark waters: Another picture, taken from below the waterline, shows plastic bottles, bags and other rubbish on the surface blocking out sunlight

 

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