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| Whale wedged on cruise ship bow | Whale wedged on cruise ship bow |
| (41 minutes later) | |
| A rare whale was discovered wedged on to the bow of a cruise ship when it docked in a Canadian port. | A rare whale was discovered wedged on to the bow of a cruise ship when it docked in a Canadian port. |
| The 70ft fin whale, a threatened species in Canada, was found when the Sapphire Princess docked at the Port of Vancouver, the cruise company said. | The 70ft fin whale, a threatened species in Canada, was found when the Sapphire Princess docked at the Port of Vancouver, the cruise company said. |
| It said it had "strict whale avoidance" measures and it was unclear where, when or how the whale became stuck. | It said it had "strict whale avoidance" measures and it was unclear where, when or how the whale became stuck. |
| Tourists looked on as the dead whale was examined by fisheries department staff. | Tourists looked on as the dead whale was examined by fisheries department staff. |
| The cruise ship had arrived from Alaska about 0630 local time on Saturday. | The cruise ship had arrived from Alaska about 0630 local time on Saturday. |
| "We are not aware that any whales were sighted as the ship sailed through the Inside Passage to Vancouver," Princess Cruises said. | "We are not aware that any whales were sighted as the ship sailed through the Inside Passage to Vancouver," Princess Cruises said. |
| The whale was on top of the bulbous bow, the part of the bow that goes through the water, Princess Cruises said. | The whale was on top of the bulbous bow, the part of the bow that goes through the water, Princess Cruises said. |
| Captain unaware | Captain unaware |
| Its whale avoidance measures include altering course and reducing speed if whales are spotted nearby. | Its whale avoidance measures include altering course and reducing speed if whales are spotted nearby. |
| The captain was unaware of the whale's presence until the ship docked, said a spokeswoman from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans quoted by the Vancouver Star. | The captain was unaware of the whale's presence until the ship docked, said a spokeswoman from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans quoted by the Vancouver Star. |
| The whale could have been struck north of Vancouver Island since fin whales are not normally found in the Johnstone or Georgia straits, Lisa Spaven added. | The whale could have been struck north of Vancouver Island since fin whales are not normally found in the Johnstone or Georgia straits, Lisa Spaven added. |
| She also said "vessel strikes are a very real threat to fin whales," but were hard to quantify as incidents often went unreported. | She also said "vessel strikes are a very real threat to fin whales," but were hard to quantify as incidents often went unreported. |
| The fisheries department will need to conduct a post-mortem examination to find out if the whale was dead or alive before the collision. | The fisheries department will need to conduct a post-mortem examination to find out if the whale was dead or alive before the collision. |
| According to the Vancouver Star, two tugboats were hired by the fisheries department to nudge the whale from the bow. | According to the Vancouver Star, two tugboats were hired by the fisheries department to nudge the whale from the bow. |
| It was then moved to a barge. | It was then moved to a barge. |
| Ten years ago another cruise ship arrived at the same port with a whale on the bow, the newspaper said. | Ten years ago another cruise ship arrived at the same port with a whale on the bow, the newspaper said. |