Bowhead Whale: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Whale Week · day 7 of 7

Five facts

1. A bowhead's mouth is the biggest of any animal, nearly a third of its body, and its baleen plates are the longest of any whale.
2. A bowhead's massive triangular skull is used to break through Arctic ice.
3. Bowheads may outlive every other mammal: some can pass 200 years of age.
4. Bowheads sing long, ever-changing songs when breeding. Near Greenland, scientists logged 184 different songs from about 300 whales.
5. Newborn bowhead calves learn fast: less than half an hour after birth, they can already swim by themselves.

The quiz

1. What is special about a bowhead's mouth?

• It is the largest of any animal (correct)
• It has real teeth
• It is tiny
• It glows in the dark

Its mouth is the biggest of any animal, nearly a third of its body length.

2. What does a bowhead use its skull for?

• Digging in the seabed
• Breaking through Arctic ice (correct)
• Fighting orcas
• Hunting seals

Its massive triangular skull is used to break through Arctic ice.

3. How old can bowheads become?

• About 20 years
• Around 50 years
• Exactly 100 years
• More than 200 years (correct)

Some bowheads can live past 200 years.

4. When do bowheads sing their long, complex songs?

• In breeding season (correct)
• During migration only
• Only at night
• When feeding

Bowheads sing long, complex songs in breeding season.

5. How soon can a bowhead calf swim on its own?

• After one week
• After one year
• Within half an hour of birth (correct)
• After three months

Less than half an hour after birth, calves can swim by themselves.

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