Home / Environment / Second Whale Found Dead on Cruise Ship Bow
Second Whale Found Dead on Cruise Ship Bow
18 Sep
Summary
- A dead fin whale was discovered on the bow of a cruise ship in Sitka, Alaska.
- This is the second such incident involving a cruise ship and a fin whale.
- Vessel strikes are the primary threat to endangered fin whales.
NOAA Fisheries is investigating the discovery of a dead fin whale on the bow of a cruise ship in Sitka, Alaska, on September 17. This recent event echoes a similar incident from June, when a Royal Caribbean Group cruise ship arrived in Seward, Alaska, with a deceased fin whale on its bow.
Preliminary findings from the earlier incident indicated blunt force trauma, consistent with a vessel strike. Fin whales, an endangered species, are the second-largest whale species globally, surpassed only by blue whales. Commercial whaling has ceased to be a major threat since the 1970s and 1980s.
Currently, vessel strikes represent the most significant danger to fin whale populations. NOAA Fisheries continues to monitor the situation and determine the next steps following this latest finding.
