Bowhead whale

The bowhead is a thick-bodied baleen whale that lives only in the chilly Arctic and subarctic seas. Its most striking feature is its enormous, bow-shaped skull, which helps it push through sea ice. Unlike other whales, it spends its whole life in these frozen waters.

• Uses its strong skull to break through ice for breathing holes.
• The only baleen whale that lives exclusively in Arctic waters.
• Belongs to a small whale family with just one living relative.