Travelers on a cruise ship bound for New England and Canadian ports had to stop at a port in New York City after a 44-foot endangered whale was discovered lying dead across its bow.
A spokesperson for MSC Cruises said the whale was on the MSC Meraviglia, which docked at the Port of Brooklyn before sailing to its next destination.
“We can confirm with deep regret that on Saturday a whale was discovered on the bow of our ship as the vessel approached the port of New York, Sidney Sterling, director of media relations for MSC Cruises told Fox News Digital. “We immediately notified the relevant authorities, who are now conducting an examination of the whale.”
The whale, identified as an endangered sei whale, was caught on the ship’s bow when it arrived in Brooklyn on Saturday, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries spokesperson Andrea Gomez said.
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“Sei whales are endangered, and are typically observed in deeper waters far from the coastline. NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is investigating this incident,” Gomez said.
Gomez continued, saying that the whale was relocated and towed to shore at Sandy Hook, New Jersey, to allow for better access to heavy equipment and resources to conduct a necropsy examination, which is an autopsy for animals.
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“The right flipper had broken bones, and there was evidence of tissue trauma along the right shoulder blade region,” Gomez said.
Gomez said the tissue and bone samples collected during the examination will help biologists determine if the cruise ship hit the whale when it was still alive or if it was already dead.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of any marine life. We have comprehensive measures in place to help avoid collisions, such as training all our deck officers with the Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA) and we follow regulations designed to protect whales and other marine life,” Sterling said. “This includes altering itineraries in certain regions to avoid whales and we will continue to evaluate and update our procedures with our partners and the authorities.”
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