Most people love balloons. They're fun, cheap to buy, and easy to get rid of. They're cheap entertainment, and they're attention-grabbing. Unfortunately, they also are very harmful to animals, just like plastic bags. Once released, balloons will eventually burst and return to the ground. Some may still be inflated when they eventually descend back to the ground or ocean.
Turtles, whales, sharks and dolphins commonly mistake floating balloons for food, namely jellyfish. These become entangled or block the digestion of the animal, killing it. Birds are also affected by balloons released, as you can see here.
What should you do about this? Don't release balloons! The best way to prevent balloons from causing problems for wildlife is to prevent their release. Read more about what the UK has done recently to halt balloon releases on this page by the Marine Conservation Society, which was used as a source for this blog post.
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