The massive Sei whale that washed ashore in Brooklyn on Monday had suffered blunt force trauma and broken ribs when it was struck by a Norwegian Cruise Line ship, according to results from the necropsy.
Investigators haven’t determined the final cause of death, but said Monday that the 45-feet long female whale was the same one hit by the ocean liner on Sunday.
There was also bruising on the whale’s right side. The necropsy was done in Jersey City by the Riverhead Foundation, which rescues marine mammals and sea turtles.
Tissue and blood from the whale is still being tested, but she had no lacerations — making it unlikely that the whale was struck by a propeller.
No criminality is suspected so far in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration investigation, and Norwegian Cruise Line has been cooperative, authorities said.
The Army Corp of Engineers will dispose of the large whale, and it will be brought to a landfill, according to authorities.
Sei whales are the third-largest whale species, and are endangered.
The whale was discovered around 9:30 a.m. Monday in Sunset Park.
It was towed by the NYPD Harbor Patrol, and brought to New Jersey for the necropsy.