Bowhead whale body condition and links to summer sea ice and upwelling in the Beaufort Sea

•Bowhead body condition is positively correlated with sea ice loss and wind-driven upwelling.•Average bowhead body condition increased over the period 1989 to 2011.•Bowhead population size is increasing rapidly and may be linked to increased ocean productivity.•No obvious negative effects from sea ice reduction on BCB bowheads detected to date.•Currently it’s a “good time to be a bowhead” but their future is quite uncertain.