The bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) is a massive baleen whale that lives entirely in Arctic and subarctic waters. It is one of the longest-lived mammals on Earth, with some individuals estimated to exceed 200 years of age. Adults can reach 18 metres in length and weigh up to 100 tonnes.
Bowhead whales were heavily targeted by commercial whaling from the seventeenth to the early twentieth century, which severely depleted most populations. Commercial hunting has been banned since 1946, and some stocks have recovered substantially, though others remain at low levels.
Today, bowhead whales are harvested exclusively by Indigenous peoples of the Arctic — primarily Iñupiat, Yupik, and Inuvialuit communities in Alaska, Canada, and Russia — under subsistence hunting quotas regulated by the International Whaling Commission. Whale products, particularly maktak (skin and blubber), hold deep cultural and nutritional significance in these communities, where the whale hunt is a central communal and spiritual event.
How it's produced
Bowhead whales are hunted by Indigenous Arctic communities using a combination of traditional and modern methods. Hunts are conducted from small boats (umiaks) and, in some communities, from the edge of shore-fast sea ice. Whaling crews use darting guns and shoulder guns with explosive-tipped harpoons designed for rapid, humane kills.
The hunt is governed by quotas set by the International Whaling Commission and allocated to communities by regional organisations such as the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission. A successful hunt is a community-wide event — the whale is hauled ashore and butchered communally, with shares distributed to the entire village according to cultural protocols. Maktak (skin and the attached layer of blubber) is the most prized product. There is no commercial trade in bowhead whale products; all harvest is for subsistence and cultural purposes.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
≈ Estimated from its category — typical for other red meat, not measured for this item yet. Sources & methods →
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