Facts on Bowhead Whales - Term Paper Example

Essay on Bowhead Whales Facts on Bowhead Whales The bowhead whale is a large dark whale from the family of Balaenidae and a genus of Balaena. Even though it is dark in color, its lower jaw is whitish and there are patches of white on its underbelly and grayish color on its tail. The whale grows up to 66 feet in length and weighs anywhere between 75 and 100 tonnes making a human being seem just like a toy in height and weight (Petrie 27). The whale has a very large head which breaks the ice in the sea during winter and it surfaces onto the land. Its skull is estimated to be around a third of its body size. Its body is also very powerful and propels its movement. The bowhead whale is a rare kind of whale as it lacks the dorsal fin, which is useful for balance creation, but its large body assists in the balance. Of all the animals in the world, the bowhead whale has the largest mouth which is renowned for its upturned lower jaw. The bowhead whale whose habitat is in the Arctic region is also known as a Greenland right whale or an Arctic whale due to its habitat. It spends its entire life in the Arctic which is fertile and does not even move to the low altitude water during its reproduction. The only other time it moves is during summer, when it may move for visits in straits, estuaries or even bays, and then it returns to its freezing Arctic ice. These bowhead whales can live between 100 and 200 years even though it is difficult to estimate its exact age from the lack of teeth. Its reproduction begins when the whale is over 10 years old and its gestation period is 13 months. The most interesting fact in the reproduction of the bowhead whale is that its female species undergo menopause similar to that of female human beings. The population of the bowhead whale is continually decreasing with the current population standing at an average of 10,000 whales down from a population of 50,000. The reduction has been associated to many threats with the leading one being the threat of being hunted by humans. The whale has valuable parts and is hunted for its blubber, oil, baleen, meat and other parts by commercial hunters. In order to control the reduction in numbers and extinction of the whale, the natives of Canada and Alaska who hunt the whale for subsistence use have been cautioned to limit their hunting. Other than hunting, the other threat that has contributed to their population reduction is toxics that have accumulated on the sea in the Arctic and which have not only affected their health but largely their reproduction. With the toxics comes loss of habitat and they lack planktons to feed on which impedes their survival rate. The ships also strike the whales and they end up being killed. This occurs during the summer when they migrate briefly to bays and estuaries with a few wandering away on the ships’ paths. Personal Opinion The Bowhead whales are not something everybody gets a chance to see in their entire life but they exist in the Arctic. They are known to be the largest whales in history and even though they live in the coldest part of the world, they are wonderful creatures in terms of their size and abilities. There is not much research published on this type of whales but a lot of information can be gotten on the National Geographic channel and the book by Petra “Bowhead Whales”. What is unknown to most people about these whales is that they lack dorsal fins. Dorsal fins are important to sea creatures as they enable create balance for them in the water. However, the amazing thing is that these whales maintain their own balance themselves with the assistance of their mammoth size. They do not require the dorsal fin to assist them. The other unknown thing is that it has an upturned lower jaw and its mouth is very large similar to its head. The large mouth is made that way to assist in the feeding of its large body. It feeds on hundreds of planktons at once all of which are accommodated in the mouth and enabled to be captured by the unturned lower jaw. The population of these mammals has been continually dwindling following hunting by the people who reside in the Arctic who depend on it for their food. They also reduce because of the presence of toxins in the sea which eventually harm them and they die. Since they are overly humungous animals, when they are floating in the sea, they look like small islands and hence are hit by ships most of the times and they end up being killed in the long run. Oil drills which are common in that part of the world also affect negatively the lives of these whales and the extreme effect is their death. They have not yet been declared to be endangered species but with if the current trend continues, they will be declared so in the next few years. These are unique creatures and they need to be protected by all means possible similar to the other animals on land. The reason there is no campaign about their rapid reduction in population is because people lack detailed information about them. If information can be passed on to the people and their importance to nature explained to them, then campaigns to stop the hunting for subsistence or commercial purposes can be launched and eventually protect them. People do not understand about the importance of whales but just like the numerous sea creatures unknown to mankind, they deserve exposure to the world and given a chance to be recognized and appreciated for their unique color, monstrous head and its unbelievable size which makes a human being seem very small. They need to be treasured for future generations to also get to know and appreciate them and it is the duty of everyone to do so. Work Cited Petrie, Kristin. Bowhead Whales. New York: ABDO, 2010. Print. Read More