Author: Matt J. Thorstensen, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba

Bowhead whales are the longest-lived mammals on Earth with some able to live hundreds of years. What’s more, Inuit hunters have observed these whales breaking ice over half a metre thick – ice strong enough to support a fully-loaded semi truck. The living ranges of the narwhal whales overlap with those of the bowheads in the Arctic. Narwhals were central to northern European mythology about the legendary unicorn due to their distinctive tusk. However, despite their iconic status in the eyes of many, both of these magnificent creatures have faced centuries of violent persecution by human commercial whalers. Bowhead whales,…