On August 2, 2025, a collision between a cruise ship and a minke whale in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, U.S., resulted in the death of the 20-foot whale and a passenger on the ship being thrown into the water by the force of the impact. Eyewitness video showed the whale attempting to swim to deeper water after the collision but eventually died, and the body was towed to a state park on August 4 for an autopsy. Preliminary investigations suggest that the impact may have been related to the vessel’s excessive speed and the design of the open propeller – which generates shear forces that can be fatal to cetaceans and has led to many cetacean deaths off the coast of North America. This incident is the third cetacean death in New Jersey in 2025, highlighting the ecological risks in shipping-intensive areas.
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