BROOKLYN, NY — The Marine Mammal Stranding Center has reported that on Tuesday, a necropsy was performed on a 44-foot-long sei whale that was discovered deceased on the bow of a cruise ship in the Port of Brooklyn on Saturday. Initially spotted over the weekend, the endangered sei whale was transported to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, to facilitate the necropsy, which took place on May 7.
The Atlantic Marine Conservation Society (AMSEAS), the lead on this case, collaborated with multiple agencies, including the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, the Army Corps of Engineers, the National Park Service, and state environmental departments from New York and New Jersey.
The necropsy samples will undergo histopathologic analysis to determine whether the whale’s interaction with the vessel occurred before or after its death.
NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident, emphasizing the importance of maritime caution. Mariners on the U.S. East Coast are urged to reduce speed, remain vigilant, and report any sightings of right whales or other marine mammals that are dead, injured, or entangled. Public reminders enforce that all marine mammals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, advising a distance of 150 feet from these animals and to report strandings to trained responders via NOAA’s hotline.