US | Alaska Cruise Ship Impales Whale Humpback whale's death being investigated By Rob Quinn Posted Jul 29, 2010 3:17 AM CDT Copied Federal authorities are investigating the cause of death. (National Marine Fisheries Service) The Sapphire Princess has found a dead whale stuck to its bow for the second time in just over a year. The Coast Guard says the whale appears to be a juvenile humpback, the Anchorage Daily News reports. The cruise ship was delayed near Juneau for three hours while the carcass was removed. A necropsy will be conducted to see whether the animal was already dead when it was struck by the ship, which returned to port with a dead fin whale on its bow after a whale-watching trip last summer. Read These Next Multiple people have been shot at a Mormon church in Michigan. North Carolina shooting suspect once walked the red carpet. Locals are furious about the planned demolition of a landmark bridge. The gunman who killed 4 at a Michigan church was an ex-marine. Report an error