Common Name:
Bowhead whale
Scientific Name:
Balaena mysticetus
Unique Qualities:
The Bowhead whale is believed to be the longest-lived animal on Earth. Many live to be over 100 years old, with one individual estimated to be 211 years old. It gets the name Bowhead from its huge bowed jaws that contain very long baleen plates. The Bowhead whale is black and grey on top and white on its undersides. It lacks a dorsal fin, but has two distinct dorsal humps. Bowhead whales use sonar, or sound, to sense their surroundings. The sound travels five times faster and much further in water than in air. During migration, they use their calls and sounds to not only help navigate, but also to maintain communication amongst the herd which can be spread out over 15 square kilometers.
Can be Seen:
The Bowhead whale can be seen throughout the northern arctic waters. It has been reduced to one major population in Beringia and other smaller populations in the eastern Canadian Arctic and the Sea of Okhotsk.
Likes to Hang Out:
Bowhead whales like to hang out in groups of 1 to 6 near the edge of the sea ice. Bowhead whales stay in arctic waters, and migrate north in the spring to rich feeding waters. They migrate south again in the fall to breed and calve.
Likes to Eat:
The Bowhead whale is a carnivore that likes to eat plankton and krill. It is a skimmer, or filter feeder, that swims slowly with its mouth open, constantly eating and filtering the food through its baleen plates.
Status:
Bowhead whales are an endangered species. Little is known about the Bowhead whale, due to its rarity and remoteness. It is estimated that there are about 8,000-12,000 Bowhead whales world-wide. They are threatened by a variety of causes, such as habitat loss; reduced availability of food from over-fishing, and pollution. In the past, Bowheads have been hunted to near extinction.
