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Cruise ship arrives in Seward with dead endangered fin whale on its bow
Anchorage Daily News • • business
Key Points:
- A dead, pregnant fin whale was found on the bow of a cruise ship arriving in Seward, Alaska, and has been towed to a beach for necropsy to determine the cause of death.
- NOAA Fisheries is collaborating with the Alaska SeaLife Center to conduct the examination and has urged the public to avoid the area for safety and to allow the team to work.
- The whale, an adult female measuring 61 feet, was discovered on the bulbous bow of the Royal Caribbean vessel Ovation of the Seas, which can carry nearly 5,000 passengers.
- Fin whales are endangered and highly vulnerable to vessel strikes, second only to North Atlantic right whales, and are protected under the Endangered Species Act.
- NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident, reminding the public that it is illegal to collect any part of the whale without proper authorization, and has provided a hotline for information.
