A WHALE WAS DISCOVERED ALIVE WITH A 19TH-CENTURY HARPOON STILL EMBEDDED IN ITS BODY — PROVING IT SURVIVED FOR OVER A CENTURY Researchers were stunned when they identified a living whale carrying a metal harpoon head manufactured in the late 1800s. The discovery confirmed that this whale had survived an attempted hunt more than 100 years ago — making it one of the longest-living mammals ever recorded and a symbol of extraordinary resilience. Important Details: • The harpoon was traced to whaling