Whale wedged on cruise ship bow

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.



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. 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.

The whale was on top of the bulbous bow, the part of the bow that goes through the water, Princess Cruises said.