Inuit whalers find century-old harpoon in bowhead whale in Alaska

In 2007, Inuit whalers in Alaska discovered a 100-year-old harpoon embedded in a bowhead whale. The weapon, an exploding lance from the late 1800s, helped confirm the whale's age at around 115 years, highlighting the species' exceptional longevity. Bowhead whales were nearly hunted to extinction in the early 20th century, with numbers dropping below 3,000. A whaling ban in 1921 allowed their population to recover to an estimated 10,000 to 23,000 today, while subsistence hunting by Indigenous Peoples continues. Scientists can also determine a whale's age by analyzing the aspartate in its eye lenses. This method reveals the balance of left- and right-handed molecules, providing insights into the whale's lifespan and health.