Federal wildlife officials are launching an investigation after a dead fin whale was reportedly discovered on the bow of Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas when the vessel arrived in Seward, Alaska, on Friday.
Photos of the heartbreaking incident were shared on social media and appear to show the whale lodged against the ship’s bulbous bow as the vessel docked at the Port of Seward. Additional images show crews working near the animal following the ship’s arrival.
According to local outlet SAKtown News, the whale was later identified as a 61-foot female fin whale. The outlet reported that the carcass was towed Friday evening to a protected lagoon near Lowell Point, where scientists and technicians from the Alaska SeaLife Center and NOAA began conducting a necropsy.
The Alaska SeaLife Center later confirmed it was assisting with the response. In a statement shared on social media on June 20, the organization said NOAA Fisheries had notified the center of a dead stranded whale in Seward on June 19.
The Alaska SeaLife Center added that it is working closely with NOAA Fisheries to assess the situation and determine next steps, and said additional information would be shared as it becomes available.
A necropsy is basically the animal equivalent of an autopsy. It will help determine the whale’s cause of death and gather additional information about her health and condition before she died.
In an update shared by SAKtown News, the outlet reported that NOAA issued an informal statement saying the investigation remains ongoing and that no conclusions have been reached regarding how the whale passed away. The outlet also noted that investigators do not expect any potential findings regarding liability to be determined immediately.
At the time of publication, neither NOAA nor Royal Caribbean has publicly released a formal statement regarding the reported incident.
What we know so far about the incident
According to SAKtown News, Ovation of the Seas entered Resurrection Bay on the morning of June 19 before arriving in Seward.
According to CruiseMapper, Ovation of the Seas arrived in Seward on June 19 after completing a 7-night, one-way Alaska cruise from Vancouver. The sailing included calls in Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, and Hubbard Glacier.
It remains unclear whether the whale died as the result of a collision, was already deceased before becoming lodged on the vessel, or if other factors contributed to its death. Officials are expected to rely on the necropsy and other evidence gathered during the investigation to determine the whale’s cause of death.
According to SAKtown News, the whale was covered with a tarp shortly after Ovation of the Seas arrived in Seward as officials coordinated the response.
Similar incident occurred in Seward back in 2016
In May 2016, Holland America Line’s Zaandam arrived in Seward with a dead juvenile fin whale draped across its bulbous bow. At the time, investigators from NOAA, the Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and the Alaska SeaLife Center responded to examine the animal after it was discovered when the ship docked.
Initially, officials could not determine whether the whale had died as a result of a collision with the vessel or whether it was already deceased before becoming lodged on the bow. A necropsy was later conducted, and federal investigators ultimately concluded that the whale’s death was related to a vessel strike.
Despite that finding, NOAA determined that neither the cruise line nor the ship’s operator was liable. According to the investigation, the vessel was traveling within established approach speed limits of approximately 10 to 12 knots, had lookouts posted, and crew members did not observe the whale before impact.
Investigators also noted that the whale had reportedly been exhibiting unusual behavior before the incident. According to NOAA, the juvenile male fin whale had been observed near the Alaska SeaLife Center and elsewhere in Resurrection Bay for approximately two weeks before the collision. Officials described the whale’s prolonged presence in the bay as unusual for the species.
Fin whales remain an endangered species
Fin whales are the second-largest whale species on Earth behind only the blue whale. According to NOAA Fisheries, adult fin whales typically grow between 75 and 85 feet in length and weigh between 40 and 80 tons.
The species is found throughout the world’s oceans, including Alaska waters, and is known for its streamlined body and distinctive dorsal fin located near the tail.
Like many large whale species, fin whale populations were heavily reduced by commercial whaling during the twentieth century. NOAA notes that nearly 725,000 fin whales were killed in the Southern Hemisphere alone before commercial whaling largely ended in the 1970s and 1980s.
Today, fin whales are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. NOAA identifies vessel strikes as the primary modern threat facing the species, along with entanglement in fishing gear, ocean noise, climate change, and changes in prey availability.
NOAA also notes that fin whales are typically found in deep, offshore waters and generally travel in the open ocean away from coastlines. The species can live 80 to 90 years and migrate seasonally between feeding and breeding grounds.
About Ovation of the Seas
Ovation of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean’s Quantum-class cruise ships. The vessel entered service in 2016 and can accommodate nearly 4,900 guests at double occupancy, along with more than 1,500 crew members.
The ship is known for several signature attractions, including the North Star observation capsule, RipCord by iFLY skydiving simulator, FlowRider surf simulator, and Two70 entertainment venue.
Ovation of the Seas regularly sails in Alaska during the summer season before repositioning to California to offer 3-night and 4-night cruises to Ensenada, Mexico.
