{"id":9255,"date":"2024-05-15T09:45:12","date_gmt":"2024-05-15T16:45:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hakai.org\/?p=9255"},"modified":"2024-05-23T15:16:30","modified_gmt":"2024-05-23T22:16:30","slug":"the-bowheads-of-baffin-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hakai.org\/the-bowheads-of-baffin-island\/","title":{"rendered":"The Bowheads of Baffin Island"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Bowhead whales are fascinating creatures\u2014even by whale standards. Named for their arched mouths, which happen to be the largest maws of any animal\u2060, these whales are now also believed to be the longest-living mammals. Their potential lifespan is over 200 years. That means there may be bowheads in these frigid Arctic and subarctic waters that were born about the same time as Queen Victoria.<\/p>\n
Bowheads\u2019 extreme environment has forced them to evolve a protective blubber layer that can be almost half a meter thick\u2060, more than any other whale species. These whales\u2019 skulls are also uncommonly thick\u2014 so much so they can bash head first through ice sheets 20 centimeters deep.<\/p>\n
The global bowhead population began rebounding after being decimated by the whaling industry of the 19th and 20th centuries, partly due to a relative absence of vessel traffic in their native waters. However, as the Arctic is warming\u2014nearly four times faster than the rest of the planet\u2060\u2014bowheads are facing new challenges. One of these involves their food: tiny creatures called zooplankton.<\/p>\n