Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas arrived in Seward, Alaska, on 19th June 2026 carrying the carcass of a pregnant endangered fin whale on its bow, with federal investigators later confirming the animal died from injuries consistent with a ship strike.
The 61-foot female fin whale was discovered draped across the vessel’s bulbous bow when the 4,180-guest cruise ship completed a one-way Alaska sailing from Vancouver.
The ship had called at Sitka, Juneau and Skagway before arriving in Seward, where the whale was immediately removed for examination.
A necropsy conducted by marine wildlife specialists revealed the whale had suffered severe blunt force trauma to the spine, ribs and jaw. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the injuries were consistent with a collision involving a vessel.
Investigators also determined that the whale was pregnant at the time of its death.
“The examination revealed that the whale was pregnant, freshly dead, and in good nutritional condition, with plenty of blubber and muscle,” NOAA Fisheries Alaska said following the necropsy.
The whale’s body was initially covered with a tarp after the ship docked before being transported to a protected lagoon near Lowell Point, south of the Seward cruise terminal, where the examination was carried out.
Fin whales are the second-largest whale species on Earth and can grow to around 85 feet in length and weigh up to 80 tons. The species is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and is also protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Federal authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision. NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement has appealed for information from anyone who may have knowledge relating to the whale’s death.
Royal Caribbean Responds
Royal Caribbean Group confirmed that one of its vessels was involved in the incident and said it is cooperating fully with investigators.
Credit: Kaiti Grant / Alaska SeaLife Center
“We are deeply saddened by the whale incident involving one of our ships en route to Seward and take any impact to marine life with the utmost seriousness,” a company spokesperson said.
“We are cooperating fully with NOAA, and we will partner with them following their final investigative findings. Our respect for the ocean is at the core of everything we do.”
Despite the incident, Ovation of the Seas maintained its schedule and departed Seward on its next voyage without delay.
The vessel is operating alternating northbound and southbound Alaska cruises between Vancouver and Seward throughout the 2026 season. It is also the first Royal Caribbean ship to regularly use Seward’s new Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal, which opened earlier this month.
Calls For Cruise Ships To Slow Down
The incident has prompted renewed calls for stricter measures to protect whales in busy shipping corridors
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