Princess Ship Impales Whale

Federal authorities are investigating the cause of death of a whale found stuck on the bulbous bow of Sapphire Princess yesterday morning near Juneau.

The whale, which appears to be a juvenile humpback, was discovered at about 8 a.m. while the ship was south of the Alaskan capital city, near Tracy Arm. Princess crew contacted the Coast Guard; officials from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Fisheries Service responded to the call, dispatching a tugboat crew to dislodge the carcass.

The whale's been transported to an undisclosed location for a necropsy and the ship was cleared to continue sailing toward Juneau. NOAA officials plan to interview the ship's crewmembers about the incident.

Though it's rare for whales to become impaled by cruise ships, it has happened. Last summer -- almost a year ago to date -- crewmembers aboard this same vessel discovered an endangered fin whale caught in the ship's bow. A necropsy in that case revealed that the whale may have already been sick or dead when it and the ship made contact.

Large mammals are too small to show up on radar so cruise ships must rely on actual whale sightings and reports from other ships to determine if whales are in the area. When whale activity is present or likely, cruise ships typically reduce speed or alter course if necessary.