SEWARD — A pregnant fin whale was found dead on the bow of a cruise ship that docked Friday in Seward, Alaska, federal stewards said. The whale was discovered on top of the "bulbous bow" of the vessel when it arrived in port, according to NOAA Fisheries Alaska.

The 61-foot-long whale was towed to a beach near the Seward port. NOAA Fisheries began working with the Alaska SeaLife Center to perform a necropsy on the adult female whale. The examination indicated that the whale was pregnant.

NOAA Fisheries Alaska issued a statement regarding the site: "Please stay off the beach at the necropsy site for your safety and to allow space for the team to perform the examination and collect samples." The agency also noted, "It is illegal for anyone to collect tissue, baleen or any part of the whale, unless you are an Alaska Native collecting tissue or parts for subsistence or use in handicrafts."

The law enforcement office of NOAA Fisheries has opened an investigation into the fin whale's death. The office has asked anyone with information to report what they know using its 24-hour hotline.

Fin whales are an endangered species and are the second-largest whale species on Earth, behind the blue whale, according to NOAA Fisheries. The species became endangered with the rise of modern whaling methods in the middle of the 20th century. The whaling industry killed nearly 725,000 fin whales in the Southern Hemisphere.