What is Narwhal?
Scientists recently discovered that a narwhal’s uniquely straight tusk grows strong because opposing twists in its inner and outer collagen fibril layers create internal tension that keeps it straight.
- Narwhal is a medium-sized toothed whale that belongs to the family Monodontidae.
- The only other member of this family is the beluga whale.
- Scientific Name: Monodon monoceros
- They live in the Arctic Ocean, mostly in the Atlantic sector, but they have also been recorded in the Pacific sector.
- Their largest numbers live around Canada, Greenland, and eastern Russia.
- They usually migrate from under the ice in the winter to inshore waters in the spring and coastal waters in the summer.
- It is best known for its tusk—a long, spiraled tooth that usually only the males develop. (Females occasionally do.)
- Recent observations suggest that the males use their tusks to hunt fish and to detect the level of salt in the waters through which they swim.
- Narwhals have stout, torpedo-shaped bodies with a low dorsal ridge in place of a dorsal fin and a concave-shaped tail fin.
- Like belugas, narwhals have short paddle-shaped front flippers, but they lack their extremely flexible neck and well-defined beak.
- Adult narwhals are light grey with numerous irregular black spots; the spots are more numerous on the back and fewer on the belly.
- Narwhals tend to travel in groups of 15 to 20, though larger gatherings of hundreds or even thousands of individuals have been observed.
- They are one of the deepest diving whales in the world and can hold their breath for 25-30 minutes at a time.
- Narwhals feed on fish, squid, and shrimp.
- They use sound to communicate with each other, as well as to navigate their surroundings, hunt, and see.
- Conservation Status:
- IUCN Red List: Least Concern
