Veterinary pathologists are working to determine what killed a juvenile fin whale discovered on the bow of a cruise ship entering an Alaska port. The endangered whale was spotted on the bulbous bow of the Zaandam, a Holland America Line cruise ship, as it prepared to dock in Seward.

Julie Speegle, a spokeswoman for the fisheries section of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, says the carcass was towed to a beach near Seward.

The ship may not be at fault, Speegle adds. It could have been already dead in the water and caught by the device. Holland America has a comprehensive program to avoid striking whales and was not aware of whales in the area.

Source: ABC News