Balaena+mysticetus

Kingdom:Animalia Phylum:Chordata Class:Mammalia Order:Cetartiodactyla Family:Balaenidae Year Assessed:2008 Common Name: Bowhead Whale

__Arctic Ocean:__ 80 deg N by 68 deg S longitude Temp: below 0 deg Celsius Salinity: 33-37 ppt Geologic Processes experienced:Sea floor spreading,icebergs, The Arctic is mostly ocean, surrounded by mostly land. One third of the Arctic ocean is continental shelf. Temperatures are below freezing because of the strong seasonal cycle.

__Location__: Canada, Greenland, Korea, United States

__Description of Habitat:__ Bowhead Whales spend alot of their time in the ice. They are found near the ice edge and in areas of unconsolidated packed ice.

__Appearance:__ Length: 60 ft. Weight: 60 tons Arched mouths reach up to 10 ft. wide and 20 ft. deep The powerful head can break through sea ice and is one third of the total body length. Color: Entirely black except the front part of the lower jaw which is whitish.

__Reproduction:__ Mating occurs between April and early June. Gestation is 10 months. Calf's are able to swim at birth and stay close to their mother's. They are born with a thick layer of blubber to keep them warm in the freezing temperature.

__Population:__ 7,000 to 10,000

__Feeding:__ Consumes about two tons of food each day. Eats mostly plankton.

__Migration:__ Annual Spring event when the whales begin their migration up through the Chukchi Sea and into the Beaufort Sea for the Summer. __Endangerment:__ Commercial whaling wiped out entire herds of whales in one area and then moved on to others.

__Conservation Efforts:__ Commercial whaling, the cause of decline of the whales, has been discontinued. The population of the whales has been recovering but remains a fraction of its former size.

__Solutions:__ The Bowhead Whale is an endangered animal so its population is already very low. To keep this animal alive there needs to be very strict laws on hunting.

__**Scavenger Hunt Questions:**__ 1.Where can Bowhead Whales be found?

2.How much food do they consume each day?

3.How much do Bowhead Whales weigh?

http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/2467/0
 * __Sources:__**

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Balaena_mysticetus.html

http://www.fishbase.net