Wildlife photographer Justin Hofmantook a photo at the beginning of September which rapidly went viral. While he was diving in Borneo, an island in Indonesia, he crossed paths with a little seahorse.
Source: Trip Advisor
Unfortunately, the creature soon got caught up in a storm of trash and polluted water, which had come towards them from the island. Hofman told websiteThe Dodo:
It was literally sewage; you could smell the water change. It was disgusting.
The seahorse, drifting in a sea of grime, finally tried to cling to a Q-tip. Hofman's photo of this moment is the one that went viral. Later on Instagram, Hofman wrote:
It’s a photo that I wish didn’t exist but now that it does I want everyone to see it. What started as an opportunity to photograph a cute little seahorse turned into one of frustration and sadness as the incoming tide brought with it countless pieces of trash and sewage.
Source: Justin Hofman
The tragic photograph was selected as a finalist at London's National History Museum'sWildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. Justin Hofman hopes that his snapshot will make people realize what pollution is doing to the planet - and our non-human neighbors.
People might look at the picture and think, ‘We’re doomed.’ But if every person did their part, it would add up to a huge impact. We can all not let our trash go down the drain. We can all put things in a trash bin and recycle. It’s easy.
Everyone must come together to help preserve our planet. Every choice we make can make a difference.
H/t: The Dodo
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