A dead fin whale was discovered on the bow of Norwegian Joy as the ship approached Sitka, Alaska, on Thursday, September 17, temporarily delaying the ship’s arrival, according to KIRO Newsradio/MyNorthwest. The outlet reported that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed the whale was on the ship’s bow.
A passenger aboard Norwegian Joy told KIRO that guests were informed at about 7:45 a.m. that operations had been paused while crews dealt with the whale. The passenger described seeing the whale removed from the bow by boat. Norwegian Joy was subsequently able to dock, and passengers began going ashore.
The circumstances of the whale’s death — including whether the ship struck the animal while it was alive — have not been established in the reporting available so far.
