Regional Safety Advisory: Avoid Releasing Balloons
Humpback whale surfaces near a balloon: photo credit Val Shore/Eagle Wing Tours/PWWA
Photo courtesy of Eagle Wing Tours/PWWA
Photo courtesy of Eagle Wing Tours/PWWA
Photo courtesy of Eagle Wing Tours/PWWA
Balloons Pose Grave Dangers To Sea- and Land-based Wildlife
Nearly 100 Balloons Retrieved From Salish Sea in Past Week Alone
FRIDAY HARBOR, WA and VICTORIA, BC (June 30, 2021) – With both Canada Day and the July 4 holidays fast approaching, along with a continued cadence of graduations, birthday parties, anniversaries, and other occasions, the Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) is urging residents on both sides of the Canada-US border to NOT release balloons for any celebration.
Balloons present hazardous and deadly consequences for wildlife throughout the region, including but not limited to whales, seals, porpoise, sea lions, otters, as well as birds and numerous other land-based animals.
To date, PWWA naturalists in British Columbia and Washington State have spotted and picked up hundreds of balloons this year – including a single string of 20 graduation party balloons – and are finding and retrieving more of the floating hazards than ever before. There is speculation within the whale watch community that following the past year and the challenges we all faced during COVID, people are spending more time outdoors and they inadvertently lose balloons during their outdoor activities or release balloons without anticipating where they will actually land.
This past week alone nearly 100 balloons were retrieved, and during two recent whale-watching tours naturalists aboard Victoria, BC-based Eagle Wing Whale Watching Tours spotted and picked up ten large mylar party balloons that could have easily been ingested by nearby humpback whales or other wildlife.
“While we understand the intentions are celebratory, we urge everyone to fully understand that releasing balloons—any type, anywhere, anytime—is environmentally destructive. And it’s incredibly dangerous to wildlife and to our overall environment,” said Valerie Shore, naturalist with Eagle Wing Tours. “This humpback whale could easily have been lunge-feeding and accidently scooped the balloon into its mouth. Humpback throats are not large—about the size of a grapefruit—so this balloon could have created huge problems for this whale or others nearby.”
In addition, with this week’s record-breaking heat and dryness, balloons can cause fires by becoming entangled with power lines, transformers, and other equipment that can spark fast-spreading fires. Untethered balloons cause dozens of outages every year and they can lead to serious injuries or damage to electrical equipment if they drift into power lines.
There are many viable alternatives to releasing balloons, including: planting trees or flowers in someone’s honor; flying kites, flags, banners, streamers, and dancing inflatables; or simply handing out ribbon dancers or displaying garden spinners.
