This is the shocking moment a juvenile reef shark was found dead, suffocated by a disposable diaper wrapped around its head.

Diver Harvey Yap and his friends discovered the lifeless sea creature floating off the coast of Great Santa Cruz Island in Zamboanga City, the Philippines.

The baby shark, lying upside down, had a baby diaper tightly wound around its head when it was seen on the morning of November 19.

Harvey, who has 15 years of diving experience in the area, said: 'This is the third time I've encountered a juvenile reef shark in Sta Cruz, and sadly, this one suffocated from a diaper wrapped around its head.

'The presence of plastics, diapers, and ropes is getting worse, and they're killing our reef. This year alone, two huge hawksbill turtles that we rescued died after ingesting plastic waste.'

Thousands of animals suffer from debris and ghost nets, one of the biggest threats to marine life. These hazards are scattered in the oceans, along with more than 50 trillion microscopic pieces of plastic waste, weighing around 270,000 tonnes, floating on the surface.

UNESCO's Facts & Figures on Marine Pollution reports that more than one million marine animals, including mammals, fish, sharks, turtles, and birds, are killed each year due to plastic debris in the ocean.

Hundreds of non-profit organizations worldwide are pushing efforts to hold large corporate polluters accountable and educate citizens about the consequences of water waste.