Marine authorities said that a cruise ship arrived at a port in New York City with a 44-foot dead whale on its bow.
The whale, which is a type of whale called a sei whale, was caught on the front of the ship when it arrived at the Port of Brooklyn on Saturday. This type of whale is endangered. Andrea Gomez, a spokesperson from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries, provided this information.
A representative from MSC Cruises stated that there was a whale on board the MSC Meraviglia ship. The ship first docked in Brooklyn and then continued its journey to ports in New England and Canada. “We quickly informed the appropriate authorities, who are now investigating the whale,” stated officials from the cruise line.
“We are very sad about the loss of any marine animals,” the officials said. They also mentioned that MSC Cruises, based in Geneva, follows all rules to protect whales. This includes changing travel routes in specific areas to avoid hitting the animals.
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The dead whale was moved to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and brought to the shore there so that equipment could be easily accessed and a necropsy could be performed, according to Gomez.
Gomez said that the necropsy, which is an autopsy performed on an animal, took place on Tuesday. Biologists will use the samples collected from the whale to figure out if it was already dead before the ship hit it.
According to Gomez, Sei whales are usually seen in deep waters that are far away from the coastline. The whale species mentioned is one of the largest and is protected worldwide.
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation states that sei whales consume 2,000 pounds of fish and plankton every day. Whales can become as long as 60 feet, weigh up to 50 tons, and typically live for 50 to 70 years.
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This incident is the most recent case of a dead endangered whale being discovered along the East Coast. Last month, the government said that a North Atlantic right whale was found floating 50 miles offshore east of Virginia Beach, Virginia. They determined that the whale was killed when it collided with a ship.
In March, NOAA announced that the first baby North Atlantic right whale born this season had died because it was hit by a ship. Environmental groups are asking for stricter rules on commercial fishing and shipping in order to protect the whales.
There is a proposal in Massachusetts to set speed limits on fast ferries traveling to Cape Cod and the Islands in order to protect whales. The ferry companies argue that if this were to happen, it would greatly reduce the amount of service they can provide. They also claim that their captains have never encountered a right whale while working.
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