Authorities are investigating after a dead whale was found on the bow of a cruise ship

Authorities are conducting an investigation after a dead whale was found trapped at the bow of an MSC cruise ship.

The whale was spotted on Saturday as the ship MSC Meraviglia approached harbor in Brooklyn, New York. “We immediately notified the appropriate authorities, who are now conducting an investigation into the whale,” a spokesperson for the line told USA TODAY in an emailed statement.

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) fisheries spokeswoman Andrea Gomez, the approximately 44-foot-long sei whale was towed to the shores of Sandy Hook, New Jersey, for a necropsy. The examination conducted on Tuesday found bone fractures in the right fin and “evidence of tissue trauma along the right scapular region.” The gastrointestinal tract was also full of food.

The Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, which led the case, said in a Facebook post that the whale was an adult female.

“Most other organs have been sampled, including for biotoxin analysis and other life history studies,” Gomez said in an emailed statement. “Samples have been collected and will be sent for histopathological analysis. The tissue and bone samples collected will help biologists determine whether the vascular interaction occurred before or after death.”

NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident. Gomez noted that sei whales are critically endangered and are usually seen far from shore in deeper waters.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of all marine life,” the MSC spokesman added. “We have taken extensive measures to prevent collisions, such as training all of our deck officers with the Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA) and we follow regulations to protect whales and other marine life.” This includes changing travel routes in certain regions to avoid whales, and we will continue to evaluate and update our procedures with our partners and authorities.”

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