Narwhal facts, data, images, and videos are all included on this page. Read on to learn more about this intriguing Arctic whale…
Narwhal Information
Because of its unusual horn, or tusk, the Narwhal is often referred to as the “unicorn of the sea,” and it is almost as enigmatic.
Monodon monoceros is the scientific name for the Narwhal. It belongs to the Monodontidae family, which is part of a category known as the “toothed whales,” and it is a member of this family.
The closely related Beluga Whale is the only other species in the Monodontidae family.
The Narwhal’s Name (Warning: It’s A Bit Gruesome!)
The Norse term ‘nar’, which means “corpse,” gave rise to the term narwhal. It’s a term used to describe the narwhal’s skin, which was believed to resemble drowned sailors’ bodies.
The Narwhal’s Tusk
The male narwhal’s upper jaw develops into the Narwhal’s enormous spiral tusk, which is in reality an elongated tooth. The narwhal’s tusk may be up to 10 feet (3 meters) long! Tusks, which have 10 million nerve endings, may be utilized for both battle and environmental sensing.
Males rubbing their tusks together is known as “tusking.” This is thought to be done for either dominance or tusk maintenance.
Narwhal Facts & Figures: How Big is a Narwhal?
Baby narwhals, which may weigh as much as 220 pounds (100 kilograms), are a massive 5 feet (1.5 meters) long. Adults may reach a length of 20 feet (6 meters) and weigh 4,000 pounds (2,000 kilograms) in some cases.
Narwhals are thought to live around 50 years old, although they may live much longer.
Narwhals are thought to live up to around 50 years old, although they may live even longer.
What Do Narwhals Eat?
Squid, fish, and shrimps are all part of a narwhal’s diet. At the ice floe edge and in ice-free summer seas, Narwhals may be found chowing down. In the winter, Narwhals are hungrier and have stored up energy. Narwhals feed by hoovering up their prey with strong suction, and they don’t have many teeth.
Where do Narwhals Live?
The chilly waters of the Arctic near Canada, Greenland, and Russia are home to around 80,000 Narwhals today. Narwhals are more prevalent near the coast during the summer months, but in the winter, they migrate out to sea and reside under pack ice.
Narwhal Families
TheCompany of Narwhals (or ‘pods’) is a group of around ten to twenty animals that travel together.
When female narwhals reach the age of five to eight, they may begin reproducing, with a birth every three years. Only one calf is born at a time, and it takes around 14 months for a Narwhal baby to be born. Mums will nurse their calves for more than a year before they are able to look after themselves.
Threats to Narwhals
Polar Bears and Orcas are natural predators of the narwhal. Native Inuit people also hunt narwhals (legally) for food, tools, and even art supplies. They use the whole whale for all of these purposes.
Narwhals are vulnerable to climate change since ice packs in the winter may diminish, and the number of arctic fish available may diminish.
Awesome Narwhal Facts
- Narwhals belong to the toothed whale family, which also contains bottlenose dolphins, beluga whales and orcas
- Narwhals can ‘talk’ to each other with squeals, trills and clicks
- Narwhals have no dorsal fin which makes it easier for them to swim under ice
- Narwhal gatherings of up to several thousand individuals have been seen.
- Some males can have 2 tusks.
- Narwhals can dive over a mile deep and can spend up to 25 minutes underwater at a time.
- Narwhals change colour during their lives; babies are blue-grey, adults mottled grey and the ‘oldies’ are almost completely white.
- Narwhals can sometimes be suffocated when the sea ice freezes over.
- Fossil evidence shows that ancient white whales lived in tropical waters
- The scientific name for a narwhal is Monodon Monoceros, which in Greek means, ‘one-tooth, one-horn’.