A video shows a 44-foot (13.4m) whale across the bow of a cruise ship in New York City.
The ship sailed into the Port of Brooklyn on Saturday. Marine experts have identified the whale as a sei whale, which is an endangered species, according to CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.
The ship, managed by Geneva-based company MSC Cruises, docked in New York before sailing onwards to Canada. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of any marine life,” said cruise officials said in a statement procured by CBS News.
The whale’s body was taken to New Jersey where it underwent a necropsy – an autopsy on an animal. Experts hope the findings will help determine whether the creature was dead before it hit the ship.