44-foot whale found dead on bow of cruise ship as it reached New York – Action News Jax

“It is with great regret that we can confirm that a whale was discovered on the bow of our ship on Saturday as the ship approached New York Harbor,” an MSC spokesman said in a statement.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of any marine life. We have comprehensive measures to avoid collisions, such as: “For example, we train all of our deck officers with the Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA) and follow regulations to protect whales and other marine life,” the statement continued.

“This includes changing travel routes in certain regions to avoid whales, and we will continue to assess and update our procedures with our partners and authorities,” the company said.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, sei whales are endangered. They are typically found in deeper waters far from shore, the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society said on Facebook.

The Atlantic Marine Conservation Society conducted a necropsy on the whale, but has not yet been able to determine whether the animal was dead when the ship hit it or whether it was killed by the impact.

The whale was towed ashore in Sandy Hook, New Jersey.

The Atlantic Marine Conservation Society said in a Facebook post that a “necropsy examination (animal necropsy) 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 sampled for toxicology and other life history studies,” the statement continued. “The collected tissue and bone samples will help biologists determine whether the vascular interaction occurred before or after death.”