Oldest of Them All
Bowhead whales are a rare sight for most of the coastal populations of the world as they only exist in the northern oceans of Greenland and the North Pole. Their primary environment then is icy water with it sometimes shifting further south if the ice begins to flow towards south. They exist as some of the oldest whale species on our Earth in age, with some members being around and even over 200 years old, almost doubling the age of a majority of whale species. This makes it especially tragic that their numbers have begun to dwindle due to the shrinking of their natural habitat in recent years, which may lead to a shortening of their average lifespan.
Similarly to Blue whales, Bowhead whales feed on krill and other types of plankton found in the icy waters through their filter feeders, however they distinctly have a unique shaped head from which they get their name. Like a hammerhead shark, the head of a Bowhead whale curves intensely forming an almost battering ram shape that is primarily used to bash against and break ice in their way, which goes to show how icy their preferred environment can be. This head facilitates almost half of their body which makes it a well invested evolutionary trait of the species.
