Found only
in Arctic and sub-arctic waters, the bowhead whale has
a massive body protected from the icy waters by a layer
of blubber up to 2 feet thick. Its head is immense;
it makes up nearly one-third of the bowhead's total
body length. Its mouth can be as long as 16 feet (4.9
m), 12 feet (3.7 m) high, and 8 feet (2.4 m) wide and
its tongue weighs about 1 ton (907 kg). In profile,
a bowhead whale’s head is triangular in shape,
which may be an adaptation that enables the whale to
break through the ice to breathe. There are 2 blowholes
located at the highest point of the head that send 2
bushy, V-shaped blows 13 feet (4 m) in the air. While
swimming, only the bowhead whale’s triangular
head and rounded back show above the surface of the
water.
