A rare and endangered whale likely died as a result of a collision with a cruise ship as it approached Brooklyn Harbor in New York City this weekend. According to the New York PostOn May 4, a 45-foot whale was found dead on the front of the cruise ship MSC Meraviglia in Brooklyn Harbor.
A necropsy, the animal equivalent of an autopsy, identified the 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 Wednesday.
The examination revealed evidence of tissue trauma along the whale's right scapula area and a right fin fracture. The creature's gastrointestinal tract was also full of food. Most of the whale's organs, along with tissue and bone, were sampled for toxicological and pathological analysis
MSC Cruises, the company that owns the ship, confirmed that the whale was found on the bow of the ship as it approached New York Harbor, and said the company immediately notified authorities.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of all marine life. We have extensive measures in place to help prevent collisions, such as training all our deck officers with the Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA) and we follow regulations designed to protect whales and other marine life. This includes changing routes in certain regions to avoid whales and we will continue to review and update our procedures with our partners and authorities,” the spokesperson said.
Rob DiGiovanni, the founder and chief scientist of the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, told The Post that it was more than likely that the “interaction with the ship contributed to her death.”
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, sei whales can grow up to 60 feet in length and have a lifespan of 50 to 70 years. They are known to be exceptionally fast swimmers, capable of reaching speeds of more than 55 kilometers per hour. They live mainly in subtropical, temperate and subpolar seas around the world, mainly the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
These whales used to be abundant in the US and around the world, but according to NOAA, up to 300,000 of them were killed by commercial whalers in the 19th and 20th centuries.