In 2007, Inuit whalers in Alaska made a surprising discovery. In the carcass of a whale, they found fragments of a weapon embedded in its flesh – but this wasn’t a modern piece of equipment. The harpoon was traced back to the 1900s, and after investigation, scientists estimated that the whale itself was around 115 years old, if not older. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

Bowhead whales ( Balaena mysticetus ) are Arctic giants, spending almost their entire lives in icy northern waters. Their massive, barrel-shaped bodies – measuring up to 18.8 meters (62 feet) and weighing up to 90,710 kilograms (200,000 pounds) – trap heat, while a blubber layer up to 20 inches thick keeps them snug in some of the planet’s coldest sea

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