Record sighting of Bowhead whales reported
Passengers onboard a ship navigating through the edge of sea ice between Northeast Greenland and Spitsbergen have spotted 80-100 Bowhead whales, the highest number ever recorded on one day in the Atlantic Arctic since the 17th Century.
Bowhead whales were a target for commercial whalers, and hunted to near extinction in the middle of the 20th century. Bowheads in this area are still listed as critically endangered, and the previous record sighting was 66 whales in 1983.