




Balaena mysticetus
The Bowhead Whale is a massive, baleen whale known for its thick blubber and massive, curved mouth. They live in icy Arctic waters and can break through thick ice with their massive heads.
Habitat: Arctic waters
The Bowhead Whale is a massive, robust whale with a dark grey to black body. It has a distinctive, huge, arched head, about one-third of its total length, often featuring a white chin patch. Uniquely, it lacks a dorsal fin.





Category
MammalsRarity
Rare
Danger
2/5 · Low
Snaps
Be the first to snap!
Bowhead Whales are the only baleen whale that lives entirely in the Arctic.
Their giant mouth can be one-third of their entire body length!
These whales can dive for over an hour, holding their breath beneath the icy sea.
They have the thickest blubber of any animal, keeping them super warm!
Bowhead Whales have an incredibly thick, strong skull that helps them break through sea ice up to 60 cm thick to breathe.
Bowhead Whales have the thickest blubber of any animal, over 50 cm, that helps them stay warm in icy Arctic waters.
Bowhead Whales have the longest baleen plates, up to 4.3 meters, that help them filter tiny food from the ocean.
Bowhead Whales can produce and hear low-frequency sounds that help them communicate and navigate under thick ice.
These gentle giants filter huge amounts of tiny organisms from cold Arctic waters using special plates.

Orcinus orca
Predator to young or injured Bowheads, though rare.
Calanus hyperboreus
A primary food source for Bowhead Whales.

Ursus maritimus
Scavenges on Bowhead Whale carcasses.
Cyamus ceti
Lives on the whale's skin, a benign relationship.
Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species.
Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water.
Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish.
Thermoregulating organisms maintain a stable internal body temperature despite fluctuations in the external environment.
This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years.
This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind.
Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life.
Danger
2/5 · Low
Bowhead Whales are wild animals and should be observed from a safe distance.
1400-1800 cm
50000-100000 kg
100-200 years
20 km/h
These gentle giants filter huge amounts of tiny organisms from cold Arctic waters using special plates.
Arctic waters
Filter Feeding
1
Zoom in to split clusters and explore where this object has been snapped.
Recent snaps will appear here as new observations are added.