A bowhead whale harvested by Inuit whalers in Alaska in 2007 carried a remarkable secret. Embedded in its body were fragments of a harpoon dating back to the late 1800s, a discovery that led scientists to estimate the animal was around 115 years old.
The find offered a rare glimpse into the extraordinary lifespan of bowhead whales, a species already known for living far longer than most mammals. Researchers have spent years studying the species because of its unusual longevity, with some evidence suggesting certain individuals can live for more than 200 years.
The sea giant at the center of the 2007 discovery was caught during a subsistence hunt in Alaska. These hunts, carried out by Indigenous communities, are still permitted and have provided food for local populations for generations.
A Surprising Find During A Whale Harvest
As the marine mammal was being processed, a biologist noticed several metal fragments buried in the animal’s flesh. According to IFLScience, the pieces were sent to John Bockstoce, a historian at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, to determine what they were.
The answer pointed straight back to the heyday of commercial whaling. The fragments belonged to an exploding lance, a type of harpoon widely used by whalers operating out of New Bedford, Massachusetts, in the late nineteenth century.
As reported by the same source, the design of the weapon allowed researchers to narrow down when it was likely fired.
“We examined the piece and found that it was a model made after a patent of 1879 which was only made from 1879 to 1885, we think.” Bockstoce stated. “So, 1890 seems to be a reasonable estimate of when it was used. Either earlier or later by a few years perhaps.”
That date range provided an extraordinary clue. Since the ocean dweller was still alive in 2007, scientists estimated it was roughly 115 years old, and possibly even older.
Last Survivor of the Whaling Age
During the peak of commercial whaling, bowheads were heavily hunted, causing their population to crash. The source material stated their numbers fell to fewer than 3,000 individuals before protections helped stop the decline.
Commercial whaling targeting the species effectively ended in 1921. Since then, populations have gradually recovered, with current estimates ranging from 10,000 to 23,000 whales.
The marine predator found in Alaska may have encountered whalers during the final decades of that industry. Somehow, it survived the harpoon strike and continued living for more than a century afterward.
It’s not often that an animal carries such a clear piece of historical evidence inside its body. In this case, the harpoon served almost like a timestamp from another era.
How Scientists Estimate A Whale’s Age
Finding a century-old harpoon inside this animal is rare, so researchers usually rely on other methods to estimate age. One of the most useful ways to determine its age is by examining the eye lens.
“Scientists usually use a rather obscure method to calculate the age of whales—they analyze amino acids in whales’ eyes. And they’ve concluded that some whales can live as long as 200 years. But the explosive spear tip found in this whale provides much clearer evidence of its age,” as quoted inLiving on Earth.
By measuring that balance, scientists can estimate how old a whale is. The process has been compared to radiocarbon dating because it relies on predictable changes that occur over time.
The same source noted that the biology behind the bowhead whale’s long lifespan may come with drawbacks. A genetic trait that gives cells more time to repair themselves before dividing could help explain the species’ longevity, though it may also reduce fertility.
