Bowhead whale
Key Facts
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Common Name
Bowhead whale, greenland right whale; Baleine de grande baie, baleine du Groenland (Fr); Ballena Boreal, ballena de Groenlandia (Sp)
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Status
IUCN: Least concern; Lower Risk/conservation dependent (Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort Sea subpopulation); Endangered (Okhotsk Sea subpopulation); Critically Endangered (Svalbard-Barents Sea (Spitsbergen) subpopulation)
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Population
Approximately 10,000
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Scientific Name
Balaena mysticetus
Related Links
Information awaiting review.
This predominantly Arctic species has suffered from severe over-exploitation that has seen its range shrink considerably since the 17th Century.
In Canada, WWF has completed a conservation strategy for populations of the eastern Arctic with experts from native Nunavut communities, co-management and wildlife boards, the federal fisheries department and bowhead whale scientists.
This predominantly Arctic species has suffered from severe over-exploitation that has seen its range shrink considerably since the 17th Century.
In Canada, WWF has completed a conservation strategy for populations of the eastern Arctic with experts from native Nunavut communities, co-management and wildlife boards, the federal fisheries department and bowhead whale scientists.
Physical Description
The bowhead is a mysticete whale, a suborder of cetaceans characterized by rows of baleen plates for feeding on plankton, a symmetrical skull and paired blowholes. The species is recognized by its large skull (it represents about a third of its body length), and the prominent upturned lower jaw. There are two rows of about 300 vertical baleen plates, which at 300-450 cm are the largest of any whale. There is no dorsal fin.With these large heads and powerful bodies, bowhead whales are capable of breaking through sea ice at least 20cms thick: Inuit hunters in Alaska have reported whales surfacing through 60cms of ice.
Size
Adult bowheads have an average length of 15 to 18 meters, with a particulary large specimen reported at 19.8 meters and over 100,000 kg in weight.
Colour
Adult bowheads are entirely black except the front part of the lower jaw which is whitish. There are white patches on the belly and a gray area at the beginning of the tail.
Habitat
Biogeographic realmNearctic, Palearctic.
Range States
Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Japan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Norway, Russian Federation, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, United States.
Ecological Region
Bering-Beaufort-Chukchi Seas, Barents-Kara Seas, Grand Banks.