NEW YORK (AP) — A cruise ship entered a New York City port with the carcass of a 13-meter (44-foot) long whale on its bow, maritime authorities said.
The whale, identified as a sei species, became trapped in the ship’s bow when it arrived in Brooklyn Harbor on Saturday, said Andrea Gomez, a fisheries spokeswoman for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
A spokesperson for MSC Cruises said the whale was on the MSC Meraviglia, which docked in Brooklyn before sailing to ports in New England and Canada.
“We immediately notified the appropriate authorities, who are already examining the whale,” company officials said in a statement.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of any marine life,” officials said, adding that Geneva-based MSC Cruises complies with all whale protection rules, such as modifying its itineraries to avoid hitting the animals.
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The whale carcass was moved to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and towed to shore to give the team better access to conduct a necropsy, Gomez said.
The necropsy, which is an autopsy performed on an animal, was performed Tuesday, Gomez said. The samples obtained from the whale will help biologists determine whether she was already dead when she was hit by the ship, she said.
Sei whales, an endangered species, are often seen in deep waters far from the coast, Gomez said. They are one of the largest whale species and are internationally protected.
