Hanjin Hamburg Containership Strikes Female Fin Whale

Hanjin Hamburg Whale Strike Hamburg. Photo by Port of Rotterdam

The Port Of Rotterdam reports that the 102455 DWT containership Hanjin Hamburg struck a Fin whale in the Bay of Biscay on Friday.

The adult female was discovered strewn across the bulbous bow of the vessel when the ship entered the harbor.  This is the third time in two years that whales have been found dead on the bow of containerships entering Rotterdam included the widely reported strike of a Fin whale by the vessel Maersk Norwich in July of last year.

Ship strikes of whales have been recognized as a growing concern worldwide.  NOAA reports that documented ship strikes total nearly one whale killed per year in the United States alone and the number of undocumented strikes is believed to be much higher.

In 2008, NOAA introduced a 10 knot speed limit for ships operating within 20 nautical miles of ports in the US northeast where 83% of right whale sightings are reported.

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