Common Name
Bowhead Whale
Order
Artiodactyla
Family
Balaenidae
Species Name
Balaena mysticetus
Status
Endangered
States
Alaska
Distribution
Northern hemisphere; arctic waters. Strays have occurred in Japan, Gulf of St. Lawrence and Massachusetts
Notes
Can remain underwater for 40 minutes or more; sometimes hangs vertically in water with head exposed. Has longer baleen than all other whales. Usually travels alone or in small groups. Lives close to polar pack ice.