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Bowhead Whale

The bowhead whale was the second most commercially hunted whale. Its slow moving nature and its tendency to float on the surface when killed made it just the “right” target for whale hunters.

Bowhead Whales

Length and Weight

Average male length: 15 m
Average female length: 17 m
Average body weight: 60 - 100 tonnes

At birth, the calf is about 3.5 – 5.5 m long and weighs around 900 kg. That is about as much as 3.5 adult grizzly bears!

Body and Fins

These whales have a rotund and stocky body. They have huge heads, which make up one-third of the total body length.

A dorsal fin and ventral grooves are lacking.

The pectoral fins (flippers) are broad and shaped like a spatula.

The flukes are up to 8.5 m wide.

They are all black except a white chin patch with dark spots. Sometimes they also have a white belly patch and greyish band around the tail stock.

Baleen

Range

Bowhead Whale Range Map

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