The old man of the sea

摘要

Guessing someone's age is never easy, what with all the latest advances in dermatology and surgery. But at least most of us only have to deal with our own species. So spare a thought for Craig George, who studies the bowhead whales of the Arctic Ocean. Eight years ago, he got an inkling that the animals might live for more than two centuries—but how could he prove his suspicion? He knew of no reliable way to estimate their age. Finally, he tried looking deep into the whales' eyes, and what he saw surprised even him.