A ferry coming from Seattle to Bainbridge Island hit a juvenile humpback whale Tuesday evening in Elliott Bay, officials said.
Washington State Ferries said the incident was the first time a ferry hit a large whale.
WSF officials said that about three minutes into the 8:15 p.m. sailing, a whale breached about five feet off the bow and was struck by the ferry Wenatchee.
Officials said the whale then went back down. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a statement Wednesday afternoon, saying that "based on information provided by passengers it is likely the strike was fatal. The West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network has been notified and is on alert for an injured or dead whale in the area."
People on the ferry reported seeing the incident. One witness said they saw the whale spouting blood and that it appeared to have a fatal wound. It is not known if the whale survived.
WSF said there were no reports of gray whale or other whale sightings in the area, and the crew did not have time to steer the ferry out of the way. Officials said it is not known what kind of whale was struck, only that it was not an orca, because it did not have the distinctive black and white coloring.
"I feel terrible. The crew's the one that feels terrible, they know after the fact what happened, so they're extremely remorseful and feel horrible about the situation," said WSF Director of Marine Operations Gregory Faust.
KIRO 7 spoke with another viewer early Wednesday about what he saw.
"My wife and I, we were watching sunset around 8:20 p.m. or so, and she spotted this flock of birds circling in the middle of the Sound, and I said, 'What do you see? Is it a whale?' and she said, 'I don't know what I see,'" said David Crochet. "So, I walked over -- followed her -- and I noticed the water spouts, took out my phone and started filming. (I) didn't realize the whale had been hit at that point."
Crochet sent the video he took to KIRO 7, which appears to show the whale on the surface of the water in the distance, surrounded by birds and the wake of the ferry around it.
The Coast Guard was notified.
Ferry officials said the whale was last seen near Pier 66.
"It's such an odd occurrence that that whale would decide to breach right in front of a ferry -- it's just a million in one shot," said Faust.
There were no reports of injuries to people on the vessel or damage to the boat.
NOAA told KIRO 7 since 2000, there have been 23 whales struck by ships in Washington, with 12 of those in the Puget Sound.
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