Mysterious when a cruise ship sails to New York with a huge dead whale in front of its bow

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Conservationists and scientists are working together to solve the mystery of how a 44-foot whale ended up on the bow of a cruise ship.

The body was discovered over the weekend as the ship approached New York’s Brooklyn Harbor.

A necropsy identified the deceased marine mammal as an adult female sei whale, an endangered species typically found in deep waters far from land, the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society said.

A key question is whether the whale died before or after contact with the ship, according to the nonprofit organization based in Hampton Bays, New York.

Sei whales, members of the baleen branch of whales that feed on plankton and krill through filters, take their name from the Norwegian word for pollock, a fish with which they often run at sea. According to NOAA, they are considered exceptionally fast swimmers, capable of reaching speeds of more than 34 miles per hour (55 km/h).

They live primarily in subtropical, temperate and subpolar seas around the world, especially the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. In summer they are commonly found in the Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank and Stellwagen Bank in the western North Atlantic.

An online statement from the society, whose team conducted the autopsy on Tuesday, said the examination revealed evidence of tissue trauma along the whale’s right scapular region and a fracture of the right fin. The creature’s gastrointestinal tract was said to be full of food.

According to the society, most of the whale’s organs, as well as tissue and bones, were removed for toxicological and pathological analysis.

It said the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s law enforcement agency was also investigating the incident.

The whale’s body was brought into port on Saturday. A local resident appears to have discovered the dead animal and filmed it as he came in.

MSC Cruises said the whale was on the MSC Meraviglia, which docked in Brooklyn before heading to ports in New England and Canada.

“We immediately notified the appropriate authorities, who are now conducting an investigation into the whale,” cruise line officials said in a statement.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of any marine life.” It added that the cruise complied with all regulations to protect whales, such as changing itineraries in certain regions to avoid encountering whales.

The conservation society said the whale was then towed to the shores of Sandy Hook, New Jersey, to conduct the necropsy.

The statement posted on social media said: “Yesterday our team was able to perform a necropsy of the whale, which was brought into Brooklyn Harbor on the bow of a cruise ship on Saturday, May 4, 2024.

“The whale was identified as a 44-foot adult female sei whale. Sei whales are critically endangered and are typically observed in deeper waters far from shore.

“NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is investigating this incident.”

“The whale was relocated and towed to the shores of Sandy Hook, New Jersey, to allow greater access to heavy equipment and resources to conduct a necropsy. Autopsy (animal autopsy) revealed evidence of tissue trauma along the right scapular region and a fracture of the right fin.

“The whale’s gastrointestinal tract was also full of food. Most other organs were also removed for toxicology and other life history studies. Samples were collected and sent for histopathological analysis. The tissue and bone samples collected will help biologists determine whether the vascular interaction occurred before or after death.”