Stunning photos of a blue whale hit by boat

May 11, 2012
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These harrowing images show the body of a majestic blue whale fatally wounded while sleeping in a busy route navigation.

It was discovered floating near the surface of the Indian Ocean at the southern tip of Sri Lanka.

An open wound shows the point of impact with the ship’s bow. Marine experts believe that the blue whale – an endangered species, with only 5,000 in the wild, would have been hit by a container ship.

Images were captured by the diver Tony Wu, who has sought to highlight the plight of the blue whale, in an attempt to reduce the devastating attacks of ships.

Tony said: “The whale has a collateral damage. I was very sad to see her in that state. The animal appeared to have been beaten by a boat during the night as they rested on the surface of the ocean.”

Unofficial figures show that thousands of whales, many endangered species, have been killed by container ships.