A bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) is one of the longest living mammals on the planet. Known to live 100 years, these Alaskan natives can survive for more than 200 years. Recently, one was found with a harpoon wound that dated back to 1880s.Bowheads have notoriously thick skulls. Their massive head is used to break through large planks of sea ice. Their overall size is also notable. They can grow to over 60 feet in length and weigh 100 tons!
What else weighs 100 tons? The Space Shuttle. They are covered with a thick layer of blubber to survive their frigid habitat. That insulating layer of fat is an amazing foot-and-a-half thick. Bowheads were whaled commercially from the mid-1700s to 1966 when a worldwide moratorium on whaling went into effect. Bowhead whale fun fact: bowheads do not have a dorsal fin on their back.
The Immortal Jellyfish
Not only can this tiny blob of transparent tissues outlive humans, it can actually live forever. If that’s not humbling enough, consider the fact that the immortal jellyfish has developed a genetic mutation that allows it to trigger itself back to a time when it didn’t have a physical wound, for example, like a self-repair feature that makes it young again. If they live forever, how do they die? Apparently, the only way the immortal jellyfish dies is by disease or by being consumed in the food chain. There are a lot of mysteries surrounding this biological anomaly.
The critter, smaller than a quarter-inch, does not have a brain or a heart, however, it has more. The secret to immortality. You can be sure scientists are busy, at this very moment, studying the regenerative abilities of the jellyfish. Native to the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas, the immortal jellyfish (Turritopsis dohrnii) is also found in the waters of Japan. Another common name for the jellyfish is the medusa.
European Pond Turtle
This turtle is found throughout southern and central Europe, as well as West Asia and North Africa. The European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) can live for 100 years, but its lifespan is generally 40 to 60 years. They are classified as “near threatened” due to habitat loss and pollution, but they have a wide distribution over the continent.
European pond turtles enjoy basking in the sun on rocks or logs and preying on insects, snails, frogs, fish, and salamanders. Their webbed feet make them great swimmers and they will jump in the pond and swim off at any threat. They fear wild dogs, coyotes, carnivorous birds, and humans. Hatchling and their eggs are very susceptible to predators like herons, raccoons, bears, king snakes, foxes, cats, and cormorants.
Andean Condor
This bird can live for a long time. The oldest recorded Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) was 72 years old before it died, and had its age recorded in the Guinness Book of World records. It went down as the longest living bird, ever, of any bird variety. In 1983, this seemed to be the truth, but several species of parrot have been reported to live over 100 years.
The Andean condor is enormous. It’s considered the world’s largest flying bird with a wingspan that stretches out wider than 10 feet. The condor is a large black vulture with a bald, featherless head and neck, and it can weigh up to 33 pounds. For food, it prefers large carcasses of cattle, or deer and eggs, but, as a scavenger, it devours any rotting flesh it can find. The South American Andean condor, which is found primarily in the Andean Mountain ranges of Argentina and Chile, is a threatened species, but it’s not “critically endangered,” like the California condor is.
Rougheye Rockfish
A Rougheye rockfish will also outlive you, by at least a century. Since a Rougheye Rockfish (Sebastes Aleutianus) can live up to 205 years, it will outlive most other species, no contest. But, if you catch one and savor its light delicate flavor, mild with a slight trace of sweet, you will definitely outlive a Rougheye rockfish.
The Rougheye is also known as a Red Snapper and a Rock Cod. Like most rockfish of the genus Sebastes, it only grows to 38 inches in length with a maximum weight of 14 pounds, despite the astoundingly long lifespan. The Rougheye can be found from the deep waters off the coast of Japan to San Diego. They feed on shrimp, crab, fish and amphipods. The Rougheye gets its name from the distinguishing jagged spines found on its lower eyelid.