Harpoon proves whale is 115-130 years old
mongabay.com
June 12, 2007
A 19th-century weapon found in the neck of a 50-ton bowhead whale caught off Alaska shows that cetaceans can live more than 100 years, reports the Associated Press (AP).
The 3 1/2-inch "bomb lance" fragment was found in the whale's neck blubber and was likely manufactured in New Bedford, Massachusetts, over a century ago.
The whale was killed by indigenous hunters in Alaska last month. Under a monitoring agreement with the International Whaling Commission, native Alaskans are allowed to kill 255 whales over the next five years.
It is notoriously difficult to determine the age of a whale, though experts believe some species may live to be 200 years old, according to the AP article.
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