Barents Sea, High Arctic, June-August 2024
During our recent marine mammal survey in the Arctic, where we spent time surveying in the off shore waters of the Barents Sea and around Svalbard, we spotted the elusive bowhead whales out in open waters south of Svalbard´s mountainous archipelago.
This whale species is the only full-time arctic resident among the baleen whales and is normally found near or in the sea ice.
From above water one doesn’t see much of this skim feeding giant when it swims at the surface with its mouth wide open. This Arctic baleen whale is a filter feeder, feeding mainly on zooplankton, including krill, copepods and other crustaceans.
Its raised nostrils and lack of dorsal fin are thought to be adaptations to living in ice. This Arctic giant is considered to be the longest-living mammal, reaching an age of well above 200 years.
