Imagine pulling a piece of history out of a living creature. In May 2007, a group of native whalers off the coast of Alaska made a discovery that felt more like time travel than biology. While processing a 50-ton bowhead whale, they found something deeply embedded in its blubber: a sharp, 3.5-inch metal fragment that clearly didn’t belong there.
A vintage illustration depicting people hunting whales from small boats using hand-thrown harpoons.
Image credit: Wellcome Collection (Public Domain)
This wasn’t just any piece of scrap metal. It was an exploding harpoon fragment manufactured in New Bedford, Massachusetts, around 1890. This means that while this whale was swimming through the icy Arctic waters, the Victorian era was still in full swing, and the Wright brothers hadn’t even flown their first plane. This whale had been carrying a deadly souvenir from a hunt that failed over a century ago.
The Living Time Capsule of the Arctic
The discovery of this antique weapon changed what we knew about the longest living mammal. Before this, scientists estimated that bowhead whales lived for about 80 to 100 years. But the math didn’t lie—if the harpoon was from the late 19th century, and the whale was already an adult when it was struck, this individual was likely between 115 and 130 years old.
Further research using amino acids in the lenses of whale eyes has revealed an even more shocking truth: these giants can live for over 200 years. They aren’t just animals; they are swimming historical records that have survived everything from the height of the commercial whaling industry to the modern challenges of climate change.
A bowhead whale swimming alongside its calf in open water.
Image Credit: NOAA Fisheries
Why Do They Live So Long?
You might wonder how a mammal can outlive a human by more than double. The secret lies in the bowhead’s extreme environment. Living in the freezing waters of the Arctic, their metabolism is incredibly slow. But more importantly, researchers have discovered that bowhead whales have unique genetic tweaks that allow them to repair damaged DNA and resist cancer much better than humans can.
Despite their massive size—growing up to 60 feet (18 meters) long—their bodies are built for endurance. They possess a blubber layer nearly 20 inches (50 cm) thick, acting as both a heavy-duty winter coat and an energy reserve. They are the ultimate survivors, capable of smashing through sea ice up to 2 feet thick just to take a breath.
A Second Chance at Life
The whale found in 2007 had spent the vast majority of its life with a piece of exploding hardware lodged near its shoulder blade. It had survived the initial impact, healed over the wound, and continued to roam the oceans for another century. It is a testament to the incredible resilience of these deep-sea elders—creatures that remind us just how much mystery is still swimming beneath the waves.
Did You Know?
The bowhead whale may be the champion of age, but the ocean holds other giants with secrets just as massive. Did you know that the Blue Whale is so large that its tongue weighs as much as an entire elephant? These magnificent creatures are the largest animals to ever exist on Earth, surpassing even the biggest dinosaurs in scale.
And while the bowhead whale carries history in its skin, some creatures carry it in their very bones. Discover the strange truth behind the scented statues of antiquity , where ancient Greeks and Romans used exotic oils to make stone come alive with perfume. It turns out that humans have always had a fascination with preserving beauty and history in the most unusual ways.
Ref : iflscience , Smithsonianmag
