Whale species and whaling – Trap Greenland

The bowhead whale (*Balaena mysticetus*), showing its distinctive two peaks on its back, occurs in West Greenland in spring in Qeqertarsuup Tunua (Disko Bay), where it feeds on copepods. It is also found year round in north-east Greenland.
CARSTEN EGEVANG, 2022

Three whale species can be found all year in the waters surrounding Greenland: the bowhead whale, the beluga whale and the narwhal. At 18 metres and weighing up to 50 tonnes, the bowhead whale is one of the largest whales and has a very thick layer of blubber of up to 40 cm. The beluga whale and narwhal, both medium-sized toothed whales, are also well insulated with a blubber layer of 10 cm, and they reach a weight of 1.5 and 1 tonnes, respectively. Both the bowhead whale, narwhal and beluga whale reach sexual maturity relatively late, have a high life expectancy, but only get one calf every three years. Populations therefore grow slowly and both whale hunting and disturbances can have a major impact on populations.

Currently, four species of baleen whales (fin, minke, humpback and bowhead whales) and two species of small whales (beluga whales and narwhals) are subject to scientifically based quotas. In addition, there are four species of small whales (longfinned pilot whale, dolphin, orca and harbour porpoise) that are not subject to quotas.

In summer, ten whale species seek out the productive sea areas in West and Southeast Greenland. These are all species that migrate to warmer areas in winter.

Bowhead whale

From the mid-1600s until 1900, the bowhead whale was the target of whale hunting, both east and west of Greenland. After this period, populations were so low that it was difficult to find the whales. Until about year 2000, the species remained extremely rare, but the population has increased in both West and East Greenland in recent years.

The bowhead whale can only be found in West Greenland in winter where it is estimated that about 1,400 whales, mainly adult females, stay in Qeqertarsuup Tunua (Disko Bay). In summer, this population stays in northeastern Canada where the calves are born, and the population is estimated at 6,000 animals.

The bowhead whale is mainly found in cold polar waters, and its migrations seem to follow the currents of the polar waters. There is a quota of two whales per year for the West Greenland population, but they have not been caught since 2015. The second population stays in the northernmost corner of East Greenland, but they also migrate up into the Arctic Basin, to northern Svalbard and across to Franz Josef Land. This population is now thought to consist of a few hundred whales and is protected. Bowhead whales feed on copepods, which are filtered through the whales’ baleen.

Beluga whale

The beluga whale is only found as vagrant in East Greenland, but two populations can be seen in winter in West Greenland. One population stays in the coastal open waters between Qeqertarsuup Tunua and Maniitsoq and numbers about 8,000 animals. The second population stays in the polynya of the North Water area and numbers about 2,000 animals. Both populations stay in river deltas in northern Canada in summer and make annual migrations to and from wintering grounds, and both populations are caught subject to quota regulation and are believed to be stable or increasing. They feed on polar cod, squid, shrimp and capelin, but also on Atlantic cod when they are available in West Greenland.

Narwhal

The narwhal consists of several populations that stay in Greenland during summer. The best known population can be found in Inglefield Gulf where the old method of harpooning from a kayak is still practised. Other populations can be found in Qimusseriarsuaq (Melville Bay) in West Greenland and in Kangerlussuaq, Kangertittivaq (Scoresby Sound), Young Sound and Dove Bay in East Greenland. In winter, narwhals migrate from the coast to deep waters where they can dive to depths of 1,800 metres for Greenland halibut. The narwhal is a typical coldwater species that does not thrive in the warming seas and the largest populations are concentrated in cold waters. Their choice of food is limited to a few species and consists mainly of squid, polar cod and Greenland halibut. Catches are subject to quotas and several populations are in decline. Populations in Southeast Greenland are thought to be threatened with extinction due to whale hunting and climate change.

Harbour porpoise

The most important toothed whale that visits Greenland in summer is the small harbour porpoise. More than 2,000 harbour porpoises are caught each year and they are found in a genetically and behaviourally isolated ecotype in West Greenland that is distinct from the other North Atlantic populations. The harbour porpoise avoids the ice, and although very stationary in terms of summer grounds in Greenland, they make extensive migrations down into the Atlantic in winter. The harbour porpoise is a high-energy whale that quickly reaches sexual maturity but only lives for a very short time (less than 15 years) and has high energy needs, so it must constantly forage for food. In Greenland, harbour porpoises feed on small schooling fish and squid, and in the Atlantic where they spend the winter, they are thought to eat small fish from the mesopelagic layer at depths of 200‑300 m. Quotas have recently been introduced on the whale hunting of harbour porpoise.

Orca

The orca can be found sporadically in Greenland but has been observed and caught regularly in East Greenland during the past decade. The orca mainly feed on fish in the North Atlantic, but in Greenland they also feed on marine mammals such as minke whale, narwhal and seals. It is not known how many orcas there are in Greenland, and the species is not protected.

Modern whaling

Of the 12 species of whale that migrate to Greenland in summer, the fin whale, the minke whale and the humpback whale are the most important for modern whale hunting. All three species are subject to quotas issued by the International Whaling Commission. They are relatively fast whales that make long migrations between southern breeding and wintering grounds and northern foraging grounds. All three species have large populations in the Atlantic, and it is the sub-populations that can be found in Greenland during the openwater period where they consume a large proportion of their annual food requirements by feeding on krill, capelin, sandeel, blue whiting and cod.