The Sapphire Princess was Delayed By…. A Whale?

Sapphire Princess

When the Sapphire Princess pulled into Juneau it was actually stopped in it’s tracks this Past Wednesday, when a dead whale was found on the ship’s bow.

The public affairs officer for National Geographic and Atmospheric Administration, Julie Speegle, has commented that the whale was discovered at just about 8 AM, when the ship was approaching Juneau, new Tracy Arm.

“It apparently became lodged there overnight,” she commented.

When the whale was discovered, the ship contacted the US Coast Guard, who then turned around and told the National Oceanic and Administration of the happenings. Both agencies rushed to the scene.

Speegle has commented that the vessel came to a halt in an area south of Douglas Island, but did not dock while a diving team worked to dislodge the hapless whale. After it was successfully taken off the ship, the whale was immediately transported by tug boat to undergo a necropsy to figure out what caused its death. A press release was then published by Princess Cruises saying that the whale was taken away through the Stephens Passage.

The job of removing the whale was completed and the vessel was then cleared to get on its way just after 3 PM, arriving about an hour afterward.

Speegle explained that this particular species of whale could not be deciphered until they completed the necropsy, “We don’t definitely know but photos from (NOAA) Protected Resources say it appears to be a juvenile humpback.”.