Baby turtle dies after eating 104 pieces of plastic. Nature center says that's not unusual

This turtle, which would fit in the palm of your hand, had eaten 104 pieces of plastic. Photo / Gumbo Limbo

A disturbing new photo has given people a reality check about the dangers of plastics in the Earth's waters.

Not such a happy #TurtleTuesday this week. It's washback season at Gumbo Limbo and weak, tiny turtles are washing up...

Posted by Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, Inc. on Tuesday, 1 October 2019

Gumbo Limbo Nature Center of Boca Raton said this time of year is known as "washback" season, as turtle hatchlings that made it out to the Gulf Stream begin to wash back up.

Italian fisherman bring the plastic they have collected for recycling at a specialised plant. About 10% of the volume of each fish haul caught is plastic waste. Photo / Getty Images

The nature center said 100 percent of washback turtles that have plastic in their intestinal tracts don't survive.

Crowder said they've seen 121 washbacks this season, and dozens have died.

"Every single one that we have necropsied has had plastic in their system," said Crowder.

A detail of microplastics along the Schiavonea beach in Italy. Photo / Getty Images

"The plastic plugs them up and causes them to go into septic shock."

A fan of the page shared her own upsetting image, "So sad that it has come to this!
Took this picture last week in Kauai on the beach. No shells, just broken chunks of plastic."

Posted by Sandy Dawson on Thursday, 3 October 2019