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Alaska SeaLife Center Participates in Seward Fin Whale Necropsy June 22, 2026
Update from NOAA Fisheries Alaska:
On Friday, June 19, 2026 a cruise ship arrived at the dock in Seward, Alaska, with a dead 61-foot, adult female fin whale on top of the ship’s bulbous bow. A local company towed the whale to a nearby beach for a necropsy (animal autopsy).
NOAA Fisheries collaborated with the Alaska SeaLife Center and Alaska Veterinary Pathology Services to perform a necropsy on the whale over the weekend to determine the cause of death. The examination revealed that the whale was pregnant, freshly dead, and in good nutritional condition, with plenty of blubber and muscle. Preliminary necropsy findings showed blunt force trauma to the jaw, spine, and ribs consistent with a vessel strike.
The official cause of death is pending further histological and diagnostic testing of collected samples, which can take months to complete. Additionally, the law enforcement investigation is ongoing. The whale carcass has been towed out to sea, where it was expected to sink and nourish a wide variety of deep-sea marine life.
Thank you to our partners, local volunteers, and the community for your cooperation and support during the response effort. We appreciate the public’s interest and will share more information when it has been confirmed.
