A massive cruise ship likely struck and killed an endangered whale before sailing into the East River Saturday morning — and there’s no telling how long the dead mammal was dragged by the boat before it was discovered, according to marine experts.
The 44-foot adult female Sei whale was found as the MSC Meraviglia docked at the Port of Brooklyn, a spokesperson for MSC cruises confirmed.
The unlucky cetacean was removed from the 19-deck ship and towed to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, Tuesday for a necropsy, said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries spokesperson Andrea Gomez — but emphasized it is too soon to tell whether or not the whale was dead before impact.
Rob DiGiovanni, the founder and chief scientist of the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, however, told The Post it was more than likely that the “interaction with the vessel contributed to her death.”
“It looks like she was eating,” DiGiovanni said, indicating she was a healthy whale with relatively fresh food in her stomach.
The hulking Meraviglia — the same ship that rescued 24 distressed Cuban migrants from a boat off the coast of Florida last year — weighs 171,600 gross tonage and stands 214 feet tall.
When and where the whale was struck remains a mystery, but Sei whales are typically observed in deeper waters far from the coastline, according to NOAA.
They are one of the largest whale species and are internationally protected, with vessel strikes listed as one of the biggest threats to its dwindling population.
The body was “pretty decomposed,” DiGiovanni revealed, but said that does not help professionals lock down a timeline of its death.
The temperature of the water, especially on the higher side, can accelerate the decomposition process by days.
The tragic event is unfortunately not uncommon, according to DiGiovanni, but it’s nearly impossible to track just how often it occurs because the whales could sink to the bottom of the ocean floor after being struck.
Ship staff or guests also might not even notice a striking, considering just how large cruise vessels stand, making even the world’s largest mammal look like an ant.
Such strikes could contribute to the unusual mortuary event in the New York Bight Apex — the waters from Fire Island to the Manasquan Inlet in New Jersey.
Starting in 2016, humpback, Mackey and North Atlantic Right whale deaths skyrocketed from one to three per year to 12 to 14 per year, DiGiovanni said.
The shocking death surge is a tragic side effect of whales flocking to Big Apple waters in higher numbers per year, creating a Catch-22 situation.
While some stay year-round, the amount of whales enjoying the East River jumps as spring rolls around.
“We start to see increases in whale sightings now, so we urge boaters to use caution in the waters,” DiGiovanni said, encouraging ship captains to consider the “Slow: Children at Play” mentality when taking on the open seas.
NOAA reiterated this sentiment: “Mariners operating along the US East Coast are encouraged to slow their vessel speed, stay alert, and report any sightings of right whales or any dead, injured, or entangled whales.”
