Fin whales are the second largest whales after blue whales. With the beginning of industrial whaling in the 20th century, they became the most hunted whales in the world. (Photo: Julia Hager) Whaling in the 20th century wiped out 99 percent of the...
Whale bones next to the former whaler’s pier in Grytviken. On South Georgia, whale bones are still shattered along the coast, relatively well preserved because of the low temperatures. However, rising temperatures due to climate change could destroy the DNA in...
Determining the mutation rate of cetaceans is not an easy task, as it is difficult to locate and sample them. Photo: Julia Hager Before commercial whaling began, the number of humpback whales in the North Atlantic was apparently 86 percent lower than previously...
Polar bears are hunted in Greenland according to a quota system and are considered part of the people’s livelihood. In this system, each community receives a certain number of polar bears that may be shot. A hunting ban is now to be established for southeast...
Among the remains of early peoples in Greenland are numerous bones, including those of bowhead whales. But were these huge animals also regularly hunted thousands of years ago? Photo: Heiner Kubny The early settlers of Greenland, which include successively the Saqqaq,...