ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — Beaches are one of the biggest attractions Florida has to offer, drawing millions of people each year.
However, it’s important to remember we share these sandy picturesque locations with other creatures.
Karen Catbird, a viewer of WAVY sister station WFLA, posted these hard-hitting pictures.
Catbird was visiting St. Pete Beach when she found a black skimmer seabird giving its chick a cigarette butt.
After seeing this, she wanted to make sure other beachgoers are aware of the harm just dropping cigarettes or other trash can have on wildlife.
According to the Cigarette Butt Pollution Project, of the 5.6 trillion cigarettes that are made with filters each year, as much as two-thirds are dumped or thrown away irresponsibly.