The narwhal is one of the world’s most unusual, if not simply bizarre, species. A species of toothed whale that lives nowhere but Arctic waters, their name comes from the Old Norse for ‘corpse whale’ because they reminded Norse sailors of drowned brethren. Even so, narwhal remain one of the most loved and charismatic of Arctic species.
Narwhal have a short snout and large melon (forehead), though their most obvious characteristic is the single spiral-shaped tusk that protrudes from the upper mouths of males of the species. Double tusked males are rare occurrences, while all can be up to 75% heavier than females. Both sexes lack a dorsal fin, which is probably an adaptation for swimming immediately below ice sheets without interference.
Reaching lengths of up to ten feet, the exact purpose of a narwhal’s tusk remains debated by scientists, but appears to have a role in feeding, deciding the dominance of males, and as an attraction to females. Tusks are also known to contain millions of active nerve endings, so may have some function in determining climatic conditions such as water temperature. The narwhal diet includes a variety of fish, shellfish, and cephalopods, including squid, shrimp, cuttlefish, Arctic cod, and halibut.
Between ten and 18 feet long without the tusk, narwhals are similar in overall appearance to beluga whales, and are related closely enough to successfully interbreed. The result has been dubbed a ‘narluga.’ Biologists estimate there are around 170,000 narwhal in total, living in Arctic waters in Canada, Greenland, and Russia.
Although known for pushing their way among ice floes and icebergs, each year narwhals migrate to ice-free shallows in groups of three to eight, before forming much larger groups of up to 1,000 individuals. Mating takes place between March and May, with single calves being born in either July or August.
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