![Ocean’s unending struggle: Plastic waste meets marine life in Anilao](https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/files/2025/01/Jonas-C-1024x576.png)
A Female Paper Nautilus (Argonauta hians.) with plastic trash stuck on its body. | Photo by Jones Wayne
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Amid the beauty of Anilao’s waters, a powerful image captured by a diver-photographer sheds light on a persistent issue threatening our oceans.
A 2024 study revealed that the world generates 57 million tons of plastic pollution annually, spreading from the deepest oceans to the highest mountaintops and even into people’s bodies. More than two-thirds of this waste originates from countries in the Global South. Unfortunately, the Philippines is one of them.
READ:
Moalboal diving issue: Dos and Don’ts for tourists
World pumps out 57 million tons of plastic pollution a year – new study
Ending global plastic pollution
Journey to photographing the Paper Nautilus
Fifty-seven-year-old Jones Wayne, based in Anilao, Batangas, has spent nearly 12 years in the marine industry. He also supports his wife’s Underwater Photography Resort in the area.
“After a few camera adjustments, I moved into a good position and began capturing images as the Paper Nautilus calmly propelled her way along, seemingly oblivious to all the fuss,” Wayne shared in a virtual conversation with CDN Digital.
However, what caught Wayne’s attention was a piece of plastic wrap attached to the creature, symbolizing the ongoing battle our oceans face against pollution.
“Seeing what she was holding onto as obviously garbage, I wanted to capture the full details of this to emphasize the growing issue of waste—especially plastic—polluting our oceans,”
What are Paper Nautiluses?
According to OceanConservancy.org, the paper nautilus, also known as the argonaut, is a creature in the cephalopod world. Despite its name, it’s not a nautilus but an octopus. Although they resemble nautiluses, their thin “shell” is very different from the chambered shells of true nautiluses. Argonauts belong to the family Argonautidae, which includes four species: the greater, winged, Böttger’s, and knobby argonauts.
Paper Nautiluses are typically found in the open ocean, inhabiting temperate and tropical waters, which makes the Philippines’ rich marine environment a natural habitat for them.