Bowhead whale

Rare card · No. 45258

The bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus), sometimes known as the Greenland right whale, Arctic whale, and polar whale, is a species of baleen whale belonging to the family Balaenidae and is the only living representative of the genus Balaena. It is the only baleen whale endemic to the Arctic and subarctic waters, and is named after its characteristic massive triangular skull, which it uses to break through Arctic ice. Bowheads have the largest mouth of any animal, representing almost one-third of the length of the body. They also have the longest baleen plates among whales, with a maximum length of 2.97 to 5.2 metres (9.7 to 17.1 ft). They may be the longest-lived of all mammals, with the ability to reach an age of more than 200 years. The bowhead was an early whaling target. Their population was severely reduced before a 1966 moratorium was passed to protect the species. Of the five stocks of bowhead populations, three are listed as endangered, one as vulnerable, and one as lower risk, conservation...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Vicki Beaver, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA FIsheries, Marine Mammal Permit#14245, Public domain