The bowhead whale is an Arctic baleen whale with a large, bow-shaped head that is up to 40% of its body length. The arched mouth is up to 10 feet (3 m) wide and 20 feet (6 m) deep. Bowheads live in pods, are rich in blubber (a subcutaneous fat layer 20-inch (50 cm) thick in places), and have 2 blowholes.
Anatomy: Bowhead whales grow to be about 50-60 feet (15-18.5 m) long, weighing over 80-110 tons (72-91 tonnes). The bowhead whale's skin is usually black with a white spot on the lower snout. Calves are blue to gray colored. Bowheads have no dorsal fin and no throat grooves. Bowheads have short, narrow flippers; the flukes (tail) are 27 feet (8.1 m) wide. The eyes are very small and lips are huge. The females are slightly larger than males, as with all baleen whales.
Diet: Bowhead whales (like all baleen whales) are seasonal feeders and carnivores that filter feed plankton (tiny crustaceans like krill, copepods, pteropods, etc.) from the water. Bowheads are skimmers, filter feeders that swim slowly with their mouth open, constantly eating. On occasion, they are also bottom feeders.
