Fast Facts: Bowhead Whale

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Yeah, the Bowhead Whale needs some time to get used to looking at. Yeah, that curved line is actually its mouth. And yeah, its mouth does take up two-thirds of its head. 

The Bowhead Whale : Balaena mysticetus

Description: Bowhead whales have extremely large mouths and wide jaws that allow them to swallow an incredible amount of prey in one gulp. They actually have the largest mouth of nay animal! A distinctive white patch on their jaws stands out against their all-black bodies, and unlike many other whales, dolphins, and porpoises, Bowheads don't have a dorsal fin. However, they do have two small pectoral fins. Reaching lengths of up to 66 feet long, the Bowhead's skull and jaws make up about 30-40% of its entire body, which is covered in up to 20 inches of blubber, the thickest layer of blubber of any whale.  In addition, at full maturity, the Bowhead Whale weighs about 100 tons. 

Habitat: Although Bowheads do migrate to Canadian regions during the summer, they are one of the few marine creatures that live exclusively in the Arctic and Subarctic oceanic regions. Based on the annual climate, which affects the melting and formation of the Arctic ice, Bowhead migration patterns vary slightly each year. 

Diet: Bowheads are Baleen whales, which means they can take in huge amounts of sea water to strain through special baleen plates which allow the Bowheads to filter out invertebrates like plankton and crustaceans. Bowheads actually have the largest baleen plates of any animal and mainly feed on krill. In addition, they may also supplement their diet with small fish and other marine creatures. 

Behavior: Either traveling with small pods with about six members or by themselves, Bowheads aren't as sociable as other whale species such as the Beluga Whale. However, Bowheads are very vocal and communicate during migrating, feeding, and the mating season. During the mating and breeding season, Bowheads produce intricate and varied songs similar to those of a Humpback Whale. Also, similarly to Humpback Whales, Bowheads perform surface behaviors like breaching or simply drifting at the surface to rest. 

Conservation Status: The overall global population of Bowhead Whales is considered to be Least Concern; there are around 10,000-12,000 Bowheads left in the world. However, in some areas, such as Greenland, Bowheads are considered to be Endangered. 

Unique Traits:  The Bowhead's unique bow-shaped skulls allow it to completely break through the Arctic ice from underneath the water. These triangular skulls allow Bowheads to break up to 2 feet of solid ice! This is crucial as Bowheads come up for air around every 9-18 minutes, although Bowheads may dive for up to an hour before resurfacing. 


http://elelur.com/mammals/bowhead-whale.html

https://www.whalefacts.org/bowhead-whale-facts/

https://www.activewild.com/bowhead-whale/#:~:text=It%20typically%20comes%20to%20the%20surface%20to%20breathe,its%20massive%20head.%20The%20species%20undergoes%20seasonal%20migrations.

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/bowhead-whale

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/bowhead-whale

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