Conservationists and scientists are working together to try and solve the mystery of how a 44ft whale carcass ended up on the bow of a cruise liner docking in New York.

The whale was discovered as the ship approached the Port of Brooklyn over the weekend.

An autopsy identified the deceased marine mammal as a mature female sei whale, an endangered species typically found in deep waters far from land.

It is unclear if the whale’s death came before or after its contact with the vessel, according to the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society.