Endangered fin whale discovered dead on cruise ship bow in Sitka

Passengers on the Norwegian Joy were kept out of Sitka’s port after the captain reported an issue involving a whale at the front of the ship. The 1,100-foot vessel arrived at Sitka Dock on Thursday morning, about three hours late, after striking an endangered fin whale while traveling from Hoonah to Sitka. About 4,000 passengers were waiting roughly two miles offshore as responders including the U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA, the Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network and a tugboat removed the dead whale from the bow. A local whale biologist said the whale, estimated at 35 to 45 feet and likely a juvenile male, sank offshore and was tied off for a necropsy to determine cause of death. NOAA said it has documented 10 cruise-ship whale strikes since 2001.