In 2007, Alaskan hunters made a discovery that stunned scientists: inside a bowhead whale they had caught were metal fragments from a 19th-century exploding harpoon.
Tests showed the weapon dated back to around 1885–1895 — meaning the whale had survived a whaling attack over 100 years earlier and had been carrying that harpoon in its body ever since.

This incredible find confirmed what researchers had long believed: bowhead whales are among the longest-living mammals on Earth. That particular whale was estimated to be at least 115 years old, and modern science now suggests that some bowheads can live more than 200 years.

Living Time Capsules of the Arctic

Once hunted to the brink of extinction during the industrial whaling era, bowhead whales have slowly recovered thanks to conservation laws and responsible Indigenous hunting practices.
Today, these giants of the Arctic —

• Can grow up to 60 feet long and weigh more than 100 tons

• Carry scars, embedded harpoons, and history within their bodies

• Live through generations of human history, ice ages, and shifting oceans

Scientists don’t just use harpoon fragments to estimate their age — they also analyze proteins in the whales’ eye lenses, which act like natural timekeepers, confirming lifespans of over two centuries.

A Symbol of Survival

Bowhead whales are more than massive ocean creatures — they are living witnesses of history. Through centuries of danger, from hunters to ice-filled seas, they have endured.
Their survival is a powerful reminder of nature’s strength, resilience, and ability to heal when given a chance.