A marine biologist whose shocking video of a sea turtle having a plastic straw removed from its nostril sparked a global movement to have the single use plastic items banned is grabbing worldwide attention again for her work to save the endangered species. Passionate about marine life since her dad bought her some goggles, aged two, on a Greek holiday, as she was scared of the sea, after seeing life beneath the waves for the first time, Christine Figgener, 38, was entranced.
Now working with her husband, Andre Castillo MacCarthy, 37, where they live in Gandoca-Manzanillo, Costa Rica, Central America, they protect nesting sea turtles and their eggs, as well as studying their migratory behaviour at sea, so they can better understand their biology and, hopefully, save them from dying out. She said: “These are beautiful animals who are up against a lot just to survive. We are working to protect the sea turtles as they now face extinction.”
Christine, who is originally from the Cologne area in Germany, certainly knows how to galvanise support. In 2015, the video she posted on YouTube of herself removing a plastic straw from a turtle’s nostril not only went viral, with over 100 million views, it also triggered a worldwide campaign to outlaw plastic straws.
