Our Alaska: Bowhead whale hunt

Alaska Natives have hunted bowhead whales for hundreds of years. Bowheads can stretch more than 50 feet and weigh tens of thousands of pounds. In October 2007, we caught up with a whaling crew in Barrow after a successful hunt (featured in this footage). Soon the crew realized that they had landed a pregnant whale. There was no way to know that fact, however, when they went after the whale, and some of the men expressed sadness.