The bowhead whale used to be in the area. It almost disappeared from the Norwegian Sea after intense whaling in the 19th century, and was temporarily extinct in the entire North Atlantic. Similarly, the blue whale used to form large groups between Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen, but is hardly present nowadays. Seeing northern bottlenose whales in the Norwegian Sea is rare. Other large animals of the sea are hooded and harp seals and squid.