Bowhead Whale

The bowhead whale is considered the longest-lived mammal on Earth, with some individuals estimated to exceed 200 years of age. Scientists discovered this incredible lifespan by finding 19th-century stone harpoon tips embedded in the blubber of recently harvested whales.

This large baleen whale is easily identified by its massive, bow-shaped skull, which acts as a biological battering ram. They use this incredibly thick skull to break through sea ice up to 60 centimeters thick to create breathing holes.

Bowhead whales exclusively inhabit the Arctic and sub-Arctic waters, spending their entire lives in the cold regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Unlike many other large whales, they do not migrate to warm tropical waters to breed.

As a baleen whale, the bowhead feeds by swimming with its mouth open and skimming tiny crustaceans like copepods and krill. They possess the longest baleen plates of any whale, which can measure up to 4 meters long to efficiently filter their food.