Celebrity ship Summit snags whale off Alaska

Jason · August 23, 2006

Celebrity Cruise Ship Summit Snags Whale Off Alaska

Source: The Cruise Ship Report

The Celebrity cruise ship Summit docked in Seward, Alaska, on August 19th with a dead 25-to-30 foot humpback whale pinned to its bow.

The whale, dangling on the bulbous bow that protrudes from the ship's hull below the waterline, was spotted by longshoremen after the vessel tied up at the Seward dock.

A necropsy failed to help determine whether the whale was struck and killed by the Summit, or was already dead and floating when it was snagged by the 91,000-ton ship.

Investigators said it might be months before they determined the answer to that question.

The crew of the Summit expressed surprising at the discovery of the whale, and said they had felt no bump during their voyage, according to a company spokesman said.

Federal officials were investigating but said it did not appear the ship's crew had done anything wrong.

A Celebrity Cruises spokesperson told the Anchorage Daily News the company notified federal and state agencies and the Seward police after discovering the whale at the dock.