A Photographer Took Photos Of Dying Mermaids To Show How Much We’re Polluting The Ocean With Plastic Bottles

Save the mermaids! #MermaidsHatePlastic

1. This picture, taken by photographer Benjamin Von Wong, features a beached mermaid laying on top of 10,000 recycled plastic bottles.

Vonwong / Via blog.vonwong.com

“If the average American uses 167 plastic bottles a year, in 60 years they will have used 10,000 plastic bottles,” a statement on his website reads.

2. By using the recycled plastic bottles as a stand-in for the ocean, Von Wong hopes the images start a conversation on how plastic bottles are polluting our oceans.

Vonwong / Via blog.vonwong.com

3. In addition to having a camera crew help him, Von Wong brought in a team of volunteers, a professional makeup artist, and an airbrusher.

Mathieu Harvey and Paul Kepron / Via blog.vonwong.com

The silicone tails were made by Canadian designer Cynthia Cyntault of Cyntault Créations, who made them specifically for the project.

4. “Hopefully people feel empowered by this series,” Von Wong told BuzzFeed.

Vonwong / Via blog.vonwong.com

He wants people to remember “that we can make a difference and make sure there are 10,000 less bottles in the ocean, rather than get depressed and think, ‘Oh, what difference will it make anyways.’”

5. Von Wong urges people to pledge to reuse the plastic bottles they already have, or to stop using plastic water bottles entirely and opt for reusable bottles.

Vonwong / Via blog.vonwong.com

Water is life.

6. Watch the full process in the video below, (which has over 10 million views on Facebook) and read more about the project here.

You can follow Von Wong’s ocean conservation projects on Instagram, or his website.

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