Each bowhead carries about 660 baleen plates which hang down in two racks, one from each side of the upper jaw. The inner margins of the baleen plates are fringed with fine bristles that act as a hairy curtain to sieve food out of the water. Bowheads feed at all depths, from the surface to the bottom. Bowheads feed year- round in the Beaufort, Chukchi, and Bering seas. They use a variety of strategies, including feeding under ice and swimming in groups in V-shaped formation, to increase feeding efficiency.
Bowheads often depend for survival upon their ability to travel through ice-dominated waters.
Researchers using hydrophones have detected bowheads traveling through lead systems that appear to be completely covered by ice. When migrating they make long dives, generally from 6 to 17 minutes, and then usually surface for a series of four to nine blows. Dives of up to 33 minutes have been recorded. Bowhead whales are very vocal and use underwater sounds to communicate while traveling, feeding, and socializing. Some bowheads produce long repetitive songs that may be related to mating display.