Yesterday, while walking on the state beach in Edgartown, a bunch of four large heart-shaped mylar balloons came bouncing across the water and onto the beach in front of me. No doubt these balloons were meant as someone’s declaration of love.

What if that declaration of love meant the death of a sea turtle or a baby whale? Would that person who let those balloons go be happy to know that. At the very least the consequence of their action would be plastic garbage on one of our beaches or perhaps the death of a bird next spring tangled in the plastic ribbon or string.

There are organizations around the world working to save sea mammals and other wildlife from people who think letting a balloon go into the sky is romantic or symbolic.

Contrary to popular belief, balloons do not magically disappear once they are out of sight.

Suzanna Nickerson
Edgartown