Home › Mammalia › Balaenidae › Bowhead Whale (Balaena mysticetus)
SPECIES PROFILE
Bowhead Whale (Balaena mysticetus)
Balaena
IUCN STATUS
Least Concern
CONSERVATION STATUS
Least Concern
CLASS
Mammalia
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Arctic
DIET
Carnivorous
HABITAT
Arctic ice edges
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Mammalia
ORDER
Cetacea
FAMILY
Balaenidae
GENUS
Balaena
📋 Description
SIZE
15-20 m body, 50-100 tonnes
COLORATION
Black, no dorsal fin, massive head
ADAPTATIONS
Thick blubber, long life
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Arctic ice edges
DIET
Carnivorous
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Arctic
REPRODUCTION
1 calf every 3-4 years
DIET DETAILS
Copepods
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Climate change
💡 Interesting Facts
1
The bowhead whale has the thickest blubber and can live over 200 years.
2
It is the only baleen whale that stays in the Arctic year-round.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Svalbard waters
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
Summer
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Very rare; occasional in Svalbard waters.
