Bowhead Whale (Balaena mysticetus)

Bowhead whales are one type of baleen whale, meaning they eat by sifting small marine animals through hair like plates that line the insides of their mouths. They are one of the most predominantly arctic species of whale, living far north year-round amongst the ice flows. They possess special adaptations to help them live in frigid waters. Like other whales, they possess thick blubber that insulates their bodies, and they also have impressively thick skulls to let them break through thick sheets of ice when it is time to surface for air. It is speculated that they have some of the longest lifespans of any animals on Earth - living up to 200 years old! This is inferred, because outdated harpoon tips have been found embedded in their bodies in modern times. In the 1700s, they were the prime targets of whalers in Alaska, because they possessed valuable stocks of oil while being slow moving and easy to hunt. Thankfully, commercial whaling of this species was banned in 1921, and their populations have rebounded. Female bowheads only reproduce once every 3 or 4 years as their 2,000 pound calves take quite a long time to develop. Scientists can identify individuals by their unique scars that they receive from scraping on ice and fighting with orcas.