Bowhead Whale

Balaena mysticetus

Conservation Concern 4

This population was severely reduced by commercial whaling from 1848 until about 1915. Since then, there has been very limited subsistence hunting by Aboriginal people in Alaska, Yukon and eastern Russia. In the absence of commercial whaling, it has recovered to an estimated population of 16,892 in 2011.

Description 4

Bowheads are stocky baleen whales without a dorsal fin. Adults can grow to 20 metres long and weigh up to 100 tonnes.

Typical Habitat 4

Bowhead Whales occur in the marine waters of the Beaufort Sea, in conditions ranging from open water to thick, extensive but broken pack ice.

Potential Threats 4

Long generation time and low natural reproduction and growth rates make Bowheads inherently vulnerable. Rapid changes in ice cover due to climate change are a major concern, although there is uncertainty about how Bowheads will respond to these changes. Increasing noise and disturbance from activities such as shipping and oil and gas exploration in the Arctic. Harvest of this population will require ongoing monitoring to ensure that it is sustainable.

Did You Know 4

The Bowhead Whale has the largest mouth of any animal. By weight, the Bowhead is one of the largest whales, second only to the Blue Whale. Bowhead Whales take about 25 years to become mature and mothers give birth to a single calf about every 3-4 years. Bowhead Whales can live more than 200 years, making it one of the longest living mammals in the world. In Canada, Bowhead hunting is managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada in collaboration with Wildlife Management Boards created under land claims agreements. Bowhead WLhakaeles do not migrate to warmer waters like other whales— they spend their whole lives in the Arctic. Bowheads feed on tiny copepod prey by swimming forward with their mouths open, continuously ltering water through their baleen.

Sources and Credits

  1. anonymous, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Bowheads42.jpg/460px-Bowheads42.jpg
  2. (c) Ansgar Walk, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/Gr%C3%B6nlandwal_3-1999.jpg/460px-Gr%C3%B6nlandwal_3-1999.jpg
  3. anonymous, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Groenlandwal-drawing.jpg/460px-Groenlandwal-drawing.jpg
  4. (c) L.G. Johanson, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

Range Map

iNaturalist.ca Map

Animal Mammal
Mammal Whales (Cetacea)
Color grey