by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 11:20 AM ET, Tue September 22, 2026
An endangered fin whale was found dead on the bow of Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Joy in Sitka, Alaska.
On Thursday, passengers were delayed getting off the ship for several hours as responders from the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network and a tugboat removed the dead whale from the vessel.
The whale is a 57.5-foot “freshly dead” adult male, according to the Anchorage Daily News. It’s not clear what happened, nor when the vessel struck the whale. But officials hope a necropsy will offer more answers.
Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed the incident in a statement shared with KCAW.
“This is a sobering reminder of the importance of ongoing collaboration among the maritime, scientific and conservation communities,” according to the statement. “We remain committed to operating responsibly, complying with applicable laws and regulations and supporting efforts that contribute to the long-term health of marine life.”
According to KCAW, there have been 10 documented whale strikes involving cruise ships in Alaska since 2001. Not all were confirmed, however, and they didn’t all result in the whale’s death.
“It is difficult to determine the exact number of whale-vessel strikes because it is likely many collisions go unnoticed by the vessel crew, occur in remote areas, or result in carcasses sinking or drifting away, preventing detection,” Jennifer Angelo, a NOAA Fishers spokesman, told the publication.
Earlier this summer, a Royal Caribbean Group cruise ship arrived in Seward, Alaska, with the body of a pregnant fin whale on its bow.
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