Narwhal

Monodon Monoceros, commonly known as Narwhal, is a huge tusk-equipped whale with medium-sized teeth. Most people are unaware that the long tusks are only seen in males, are protruding canine teeth. As one of a few species of toothed whales, the narwhal communicates through clicks, whistles, and knocks. 

The narwhal was one of the many species described in Linnaeus’ 1758 ‘Systema Naturae.’ Its name comes from the word “nár,” meaning “corpse.” This is a reference to the animal’s white-grey coloring and its mottled spots. The whale also has a habit of lying on the surface of the water and floating with the current, something that adds to the other corpse-like appearance.

Join us as we explore the fascinating world of the narwhal, unleashing the mysteries surrounding its unique tusk and its life in the polar seas.

Appearance 

Narwhals are best known for the helical tusk growing from the center of their face. This is, in reality, an elongated canine tooth. In many places, Narwhals are the foundation for the unicorn myth and are called “Unicorns of the sea” They use their tusks to impress mating partners and establish dominance with other males.

These are medium-sized with a body size between four to five and a half meters and thirteen to eighteen feet. They are around the same size as beluga whales. The males are slightly larger than the females, but not significantly.

It’s normal for an adult narwhal to weigh between 800 and 1,600 kilograms and 1,760 and 3,530 pounds. They do not have a dorsal fin like beluga whales, certainly an adaptation to swim under the ice. Mature males often develop a low dorsal ridge. Their neck is surprisingly flexible, allowing for a wide range of head movements.

Their tusks, which grow throughout their lives, feature a left-handed helical spiral. They can reach lengths of up to ten feet. But are usually closer to five or six feet in length. Rarely, do females grow a tusk (around 15%).

Male narwhals with two tusks are even less common than a tusked female.

Their skin color is a mottled pattern of dark gray or black patches on a lighter, creamy-white background, with calves born a bluish-gray color that gradually develops into the mottled pattern. Their body shape is robust, with a thick layer of blubber for insulation.

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Habitat

These whales are found primarily in the Arctic waters of Canada, Greenland, Norway, and Russia. They spend their winters in the Baffin Bay-Davis Strait region for up to five months under the sea ice. Yearly, they migrate from bays along the shore out into the deeper ocean waters during summer. They congregate from Northern Hudson Bay to Ellesmere Island to feed and rear their young.

During winter, they can also be found diving to depths of up to 4,920 feet. Their seasonal migration includes narwhals returning to well-loved areas, usually in shallow waters, where they spend the summer. 

They tend to congregate in groups of five to ten, sometimes more. These groups are sometimes composed of only females and young and are described as nurseries. In some cases, during the summer months, groups combine, creating aggregations of between 500 and 1,000 species.

Diet

They feed on specific fish including greenland halibut, Squid, polar cod, cuttlefish, and shrimp. Some other examples include skate eggs, wolffish, and sometimes even rocks. These are believed to have been accidentally ingested while feeding near the ocean floor. They feed on prey beneath the ice pack during the winter. This uses much of the energy they took in during the summer. 

Scientists believe that narwhals feed by swimming toward prey and then using force to suck the fish into their mouths. Their tusks are used to tap and stun small fish rather than as a method of skewering their prey, as the shape of the tusk may suggest.

 

Reproduction

These unique whales become sexually active at around eleven to thirteen years old for males and five to eight years old for females. The whales can live up to around fifty years. 

In the next year, between June and August, calves are born after a 14-month gestation period. Like the majority of marine mammals, they give birth to just one juvenile, measuring an average of 5.2 feet in length and being either white or light gray. When calves are born, they have a thin covering of grease that grows as they suckle on their mother’s nutritious milk. For almost 20 months, calves rely only on milk.

Some scientists believe that some beluga whales and narwhals interbreed. This is an incredibly rare occurrence and was bolstered by a strange whale skull discovered in 1990 off the coast of Greenland. It had features that placed it midway between a narwhal and a beluga whale. 

Threats

Unfortunately, one of the most common ways that narwhals die is through suffocation. They may become trapped under the sea ice as the pack ice shifts. Starvation is also another result of human activity that these whales lose their lives. Increased boat traffic, seismic expiration, ice breaking, fishing and other forms of underwater noise pollution can disturb narwhal populations.

The narwhals were hunted for years by native populations. Their meat was, and still is, harvested for food, and their tusk for ivory. Today, the hunt is far more regulated than it once was. 

Orcas are one of the narwhal’s primary predators. They are classified as “least concern” by the IUCN. Population estimates fell as low as 50,000 and below at one point. Today, there are considered to be around 170,000 narwhals swimming in the Earth’s oceans. 

Narwhals are also threatened by climate change and the melting of Arctic sea ice. The rising ocean temperatures mean that their habitats are going through significant changes. Such changes have long-term effects on their migratory patterns and the success of winter and summer hunting. 

8 more Amazing Facts about Narwhals 

1. Narwhals are among the deepest diving marine mammals, reaching depths over 1500 meters (5000 feet).
2. They use a diverse range of clicks, whistles, and pulsed calls to communicate with each other.
3. Narwhals are highly adapted Arctic specialists, their lives intertwined with the sea ice.
4. Deeply connected to Inuit culture, narwhals appear in legends, artwork, and traditional practices.
5. The exact purpose and evolution of their tusk is a subject of ongoing research.
6. Narwhal meat is a source of protein and iron. The skin and blubber known as muktuk, is a rich source of vitamins A, D, and C, as well as omega-3 fatty acids. 
7. Their scientific name in Latin means “one-tooth-one-horn.
8. Sometimes these groups become trapped by shifting pack ice and fall victim to Inuit hunters, polar bears, or walruses.

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