The Sei whale is listed as threatened by the IUCN Red List
A rare and endangered whale likely died due to a collision with a cruise ship approaching Brooklyn Harbor in New York over the weekend. According to New York Post Officea 44-foot whale was found dead in front of the cruise ship MSC Meraviglia in Brooklyn Harbor on May 4.
A necropsy, the animal equivalent of an autopsy, identified the marine mammal as a mature female sei whale, an endangered species typically found in deep waters far from land, the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society said Wednesday.
Examination revealed evidence of tissue trauma along the whale’s right shoulder blade region and a fracture to the right flipper. The creature’s gastrointestinal tract was also full of food. Most of the whale’s organs were sampled, along with tissue and bones, for toxicological and pathological analyses.
MSC Cruises, the company that owns the ship, confirmed that the whale was found on the bow of its ship as it approached New York Harbor and said the company immediately notified authorities.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of any marine life. We have comprehensive measures in place to help prevent collisions, such as training all of 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 itineraries in certain regions to avoid whales and we will continue to evaluate and update our procedures with our partners and authorities,” the spokesperson said.
Rob DiGiovanni, founder and chief scientist of the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, told the Post that it was more than likely that “interaction with the vessel contributed to its death.”
According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Sei whales can grow up to 18 meters long and live 50 to 70 years. They are known as exceptionally fast swimmers, capable of reaching speeds of over 34 miles per hour (55 km/h). They live mainly in subtropical, temperate and subpolar seas around the world, mainly in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans.
These whales used to be abundant in the U.S. and around the world, but as many as 300,000 of them were killed by commercial whalers in the 19th and 20th centuries, according to NOAA.
This story originally appeared on Ndtv.com read the full story
