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Bowhead Whale

Balaena mysticetus

Mammal · family Balaenidae · order Cetacea

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G3: vulnerable[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Bowhead Whale
Photo: Borowski, Georg Heinrich; Herbst, Johann Friedrich Wilhelm; Sotzmann, D. F., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Endangered[1]
NatureServe global rank
G3 Vulnerable[2]
Native in
2 states[3]
Longest recorded life
211 years[4]

The Bowhead Whale is a large whale in the family Balaenidae[5]. It is listed as Endangered under the US Endangered Species Act and is native to Alaska and Hawaii, according to NatureServe[1][3].

Conservation status

The US Endangered Species Act lists the Bowhead whale as Endangered, since June 2, 1970[1]. NatureServe gives it a global rank of G3 (Vulnerable) and a national rank of N2 (Imperiled) in the United States[2][6]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Least concern[7]. CITES Appendix I covers it, which means controls on international trade[8].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Endangered, listed June 2, 1970
NatureServe global rank[2] G3 (Vulnerable)
NatureServe US rank[6] N2 (Imperiled)
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[7] Least concern
CITES (international trade)[8] Appendix I
Total population (NatureServe estimate)[9] 2500 to 100,000 individuals

Where Bowhead Whale lives

NatureServe lists the Bowhead Whale as native in 2 US states and territories, Alaska and Hawaii[3]. NatureServe has not assigned a state rank in either place[10]. On GBIF, the states with the most observation records are Alaska, California, Massachusetts and Virginia[11]. Those counts follow how much people look and report, not how many whales there are[11].

Alaska: native, state rank SNRAKMaine: not recordedMEWisconsin: not recordedWIVermont: not recordedVTNew Hampshire: not recordedNHWashington: not recordedWAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: not recordedMTNorth Dakota: not recordedNDMinnesota: not recordedMNIllinois: not recordedILMichigan: not recordedMINew York: not recordedNYMassachusetts: not recordedMAOregon: not recordedORNevada: not recordedNVWyoming: not recordedWYSouth Dakota: not recordedSDIowa: not recordedIAIndiana: not recordedINOhio: not recordedOHPennsylvania: not recordedPANew Jersey: not recordedNJConnecticut: not recordedCTRhode Island: not recordedRICalifornia: not recordedCAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: not recordedCONebraska: not recordedNEMissouri: not recordedMOKentucky: not recordedKYWest Virginia: not recordedWVVirginia: not recordedVAMaryland: not recordedMDDelaware: not recordedDEArizona: not recordedAZNew Mexico: not recordedNMKansas: not recordedKSArkansas: not recordedARTennessee: not recordedTNNorth Carolina: not recordedNCSouth Carolina: not recordedSCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: not recordedOKLouisiana: not recordedLAMississippi: not recordedMSAlabama: not recordedALGeorgia: not recordedGAHawaii: native, state rank SNRHITexas: not recordedTXFlorida: not recordedFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[10].
Show state ranks (2 states)
StateRankMeaning
AlaskaSNRNot Ranked
HawaiiSNRNot Ranked

Habitat

NatureServe records two habitat types for this whale, pelagic and near shore[12]. It prefers tight packs and patches of ice and is not often seen in wide stretches of open water[13]. It is good at finding and using gaps in the ice, even when they lie far from its usual travel routes[13].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[12]

Size, diet and lifespan

NatureServe records the adult diet as invertivore, and EltonTraits estimates it as 100% invertebrates[14][15]. It feeds mostly on swarms of small to medium zooplankton, which are small animals in the water[16]. It skims at the surface and also feeds in the water column and near the bottom in shallow places[16]. A typical length is 2000 cm (787 in) and a typical adult weight is 100000 kg (220462 lb)[17][18]. The longest recorded lifespan is 211 years in the wild, which is a record and not a typical age[4]. A typical litter is 1 young, and gestation lasts 396 days[19][20].

Trait Value
Typical length[17] 2000 cm (787 in)
Typical adult weight[18] 100000 kg (220462 lb)
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[4] 211 years (wild)
Litter or clutch size[19] 1
Gestation or incubation[20] 396 days
Female maturity[21] 8,212 days (about 22.5 years)
Food habits[14] Invertivore
Active[22] nocturnal, crepuscular, diurnal
Migration[23] long-distance migrant

Estimated diet composition (EltonTraits 1.0)[15]

  • 100% invertebrates

When to look for it

NatureServe describes the Bowhead Whale as a long-distance migrant, though populations can differ[23]. EltonTraits lists its activity as nocturnal, crepuscular and diurnal, so it can be active at night, at dawn and dusk, and by day[22]. GBIF records in the United States peak in May, September and October[24]. These records show when people look and report, not how many animals are present[24].

January: 3 recordsJanFebruary: 0 recordsFebMarch: 28 recordsMarApril: 696 recordsAprMay: 1,291 recordsMayJune: 589 recordsJunJuly: 465 recordsJulAugust: 214 recordsAugSeptember: 3,391 recordsSepOctober: 1,768 recordsOctNovember: 4 recordsNovDecember: 5 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[24].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January3
February0
March28
April696
May1,291
June589
July465
August214
September3,391
October1,768
November4
December5

Where to see it

This species is protected or at risk, so we show its range only at the state level. We do not publish parks, nesting, spawning or wintering sites.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Alaska, California, Massachusetts, Virginia[11]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the Bowhead Whale endangered?
Yes. The US Endangered Species Act lists it as Endangered, listed June 2, 1970[1]. NatureServe gives it a global rank of G3 (Vulnerable)[2].
Where does the Bowhead Whale live in the US?
NatureServe lists it as native in Alaska and Hawaii[3]. It uses pelagic and near shore habitats and favors areas with ice[12][13].
What does the Bowhead Whale eat?
It feeds mostly on swarms of small to medium zooplankton[16]. EltonTraits estimates its diet as 100% invertebrates[15].
How big is a Bowhead Whale?
NatureServe records a typical length of 2000 cm (787 in) and a typical adult weight of 100000 kg (220462 lb)[17][18].
How long does a Bowhead Whale live?
The longest recorded lifespan is 211 years in the wild[4]. This is a record and not a typical lifespan[4].

Facts and sources

  1. Under the US Endangered Species Act, Bowhead whale has the status Endangered, listed June 2, 1970 (USFWS ECOS). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Bowhead Whale: G3 (Vulnerable). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Bowhead Whale as native in 2 US states and territories: Alaska, Hawaii. NatureServe Explorer
  4. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 211 years in the wild. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  5. Bowhead Whale (Balaena mysticetus) is a mammal in the family Balaenidae, order Cetacea. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N2 (Imperiled). NatureServe Explorer
  7. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Least concern. NatureServe Explorer
  8. CITES listing recorded by NatureServe: Appendix I (controls on international trade). NatureServe Explorer
  9. NatureServe estimate of total adult population (global, as a range): 2500 to 100,000 individuals. NatureServe Explorer
  10. NatureServe state ranks for Bowhead Whale (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  11. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Bowhead Whale: Alaska, California, Massachusetts, Virginia. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  12. Habitat types NatureServe records for Bowhead Whale: Pelagic, Near shore. NatureServe Explorer
  13. NatureServe notes on habitat for Bowhead Whale. NatureServe Explorer
  14. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Invertivore. NatureServe Explorer
  15. Estimated diet composition in EltonTraits 1.0: 100% invertebrates. EltonTraits 1.0
  16. NatureServe notes on food for Bowhead Whale. NatureServe Explorer
  17. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 2000 cm (787 in). NatureServe Explorer
  18. Typical adult weight recorded by NatureServe: 100000 kg (220462 lb). NatureServe Explorer
  19. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 1. AnAge
  20. Gestation or incubation period in AnAge: 396 days. AnAge
  21. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 8,212 days (about 22.5 years). AnAge
  22. Activity time in EltonTraits 1.0: nocturnal, crepuscular, diurnal. EltonTraits 1.0
  23. NatureServe migration category for Bowhead Whale: long-distance migrant (populations can differ). NatureServe Explorer
  24. GBIF observation records of Bowhead Whale in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: Borowski, Georg Heinrich; Herbst, Johann Friedrich Wilhelm; Sotzmann, D. F., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.