Princess pays $750,000 for likely collision with whale

Princess Cruises has agreed to pay $750,000 to settle federal charges that Dawn Princess killed a whale near Glacier Bay in 2001 -- without admitting that the ship actually hit the animal.

Princess' statement explained, "A few days after this encounter, a dead humpback whale was discovered in the Glacier Bay area. Although we are not certain that the Dawn Princess hit the whale, based on the circumstances, we have agreed to pay."

Since the event, Princess has implemented speed regulations for its ships in the area and also began "whale avoidance training" for its captains.

The cruise line did plead guilty for failing to operate the ship at a slow, safe speed near the marine mammals on July 12, 2001. At the time, the federal regulation on speed was a new one.

Witness statements suggest that two whales were first spotted about 700 yards away, headed straight toward the vessel, which maintained its course. While one whale dove prior to reaching the ship, the other did not, and some passengers below deck were reported to have heard a loud thud. A humpback whale, killed by massive skull fractures according to a necropsy, was found four days later.