Shocking moment cruise ship arrives in NYC with a 44-foot dead endangered whale caught in its bow

This is the shocking moment a cruise ship arrives in New York City with a 44-foot dead endangered whale caught in its bow.

MSC Cruises confirmed the dead whale was discovered on the bow of the MSC Meraviglia Saturday as it approached the port in Brooklyn before sailing to New England and Canada. 

The endangered sei whale - one of the largest whale species that are internationally protected - is typically found in deeper waters far from the coastline, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries spokesperson Andrea Gomez told DailyMail.com. 

It remains unclear, at this time, if the whale was already deceased when it was struck by the ship. Gomez said they will not know until they get the results back from the necropsy which can take up to several weeks to months. 

On Tuesday, a necropsy was conducted by the no-profit, Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, and confirmed that the whale was a mature female.

The endangered whale, identified as a Sei whale - was seen caught in the ship's bow. Sei whales are typically observed in deeper waters far from the coastline

The whale has been identified as a 44-foot, mature female. It remains unclear at this time if the ship struck the whale or the whale had already been deceased 

The nonprofit said the necropsy examination revealed that the whale's right flipper had broken bones, and there was evidence of tissue trauma along the right shoulder blade region

The whale was relocated and towed to shore at Sandy Hook, New Jersey, to allow for better access to heavy equipment and resources to conduct a necropsy, the NOAA said.

The nonprofit said the necropsy examination revealed that the whale's right flipper had broken bones, and there was evidence of tissue trauma along the right shoulder blade region. 

The whale’s gastrointestinal tract was full of food. Most of the other organs were sampled including for biotoxin analysis and other life history studies. 

They said that samples were collected and will be sent for histopathologic analysis. The tissue and bone samples collected will help biologists determine if the vessel interaction occurred pre or post mortem, the administration said. 

Between 2019-2023, there were 22 large whales reported with suspected vessel strike injuries in New York and New Jersey, according to the NOAA.

'There have been no records from our region mention another animal being observed on a bow of a vessel,' they said. 'But one fin whale in 2021 was observed in the port of Newark and suspected to be since that's an odd location for that animal to be. Again, not confirmed or observed.'

MSC Meraviglia cruise ship leaves the port of New York December 2023

A spokesperson with MCS Cruises said in a statement that they have comprehensive measures in place to help avoid collisions, such as training all our deck officers with the Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA).

'Were 'deeply saddened by the loss of any marine life,' they said. ' We follow regulations designed to protect whales and other marine life'.

'This includes altering itineraries in certain regions to avoid whales and we will continue to evaluate and update our procedures with our partners and the authorities.

The NOAA said that 'mariners operating along the U.S. East Coast are encouraged to slow their vessel speed, stay alert, and report any sightings of right whales or any dead, injured, or entangled whales.'

The Atlantic Marine Conservation Society (AMSEAS) is the lead on this case and one of the federally authorized marine mammal response organizations based in New York.

Their local partners include, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center which is the stranding partner in New Jersey, the Army Corps of Engineers, National Park Service, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Monmouth County Department of Public Works and Engineering, and Sea Bright Fire Rescue Squad.