Whale impaled by whale-watch cruise ship

A whale-watching cruise unknowingly rammed one of the creatures and returned to harbour with it dead, jammed on the ship’s bow.

The vessel apparently struck the 70ft fin whale in Alaskan waters and carried it back to Vancouver.

Port worker Craig Delahunt said: “Basically like a train coming through, it just hits them. That bow is kind of like a spear. And once they’re hit by it, it probably breaks their back, kills them almost instantly.”

Princess Cruise Lines said the collision remained a mystery.

“It is unknown how or when this could have happened, as we have strict whale avoidance procedures in place when our ships are in the vicinity of marine life,” the company said.

“We ... have clear guidelines for our ships on how to operate if whales are sighted nearby, which include altering course and reducing speed as required.”

Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans said staff used slings to pull the whale off the ship and take it for tests to determine whether it was dead or alive when hit.