The Narwhal

The Narwhal (meaning "corpse whale" in Old Norse) is a rarely seen Arctic whale.  This social whale is known for the VERY long tooth that males have.  Very little is known about this whale.

All narwhals have two teeth in their upper jaw.   After the first year of a male narwhal's life, its left tooth grows outward, spirally.   This long, single tooth projects from its upper jaw and can grow to be 7-10 feet (2-3 m) long.  Tusks are usually twisted in a counterclockwise direction and have a hollow interior.   The tusk's function is uncertain, perhaps used as a formidable jousting weapon in courtship and dominance rivalry, in obtaining food, and/or for channeling and amplifying sonar pulses (which they emit).  The tusk is not used in hunting.   Long ago, narwhal sightings reinforced (or started) the unicorn legends.

Narwhals can grow to be about 16 feet (4.9 m) long (not counting the tooth), and weigh about 1.8 tons (1.6 tonnes).  Females are slightly smaller, averaging about 13 feet (4 m) long, and weighing 1 ton (0.9 tonnes).  At birth, narwhals are about 5 feet (1.5 m) long and 175 pounds (80 kg).

Narwhal means "corpse whale" in Old Norse; this is perhaps a description of their skin, which is bluish-gray with white blotches (young narwhals are brown).   Narwhals have a cylindrical body (with no dorsal fin) and a round head with a small mouth on their blunt snout.  This compact body shape plus a thick layer of blubber retains heat in the icy Arctic waters in which they live.

Narwhals live in the icy waters of the Arctic seas.  They rarely stray far from ice.  In summer they infrequently enter estuaries, deep fjords, and bays.

The duration of a narwhal dive is from 7-20 minutes.

Narwhals are a very vocal species of whale, making clicks, squeals, and whistles to communicate and/or navigate.

Narwhals maximum life span is about 50 years.

Narwhals eat fish, squid, shrimp, and other marine animals.

Pods (social groups of whales) of 4-20 narwhals have been observed; some groups consist of just one sex and others contain both sexes.   Many pods may travel together, forming very large groups.

It is estimated that there are roughly 10,000 to 45,000 narwhals.  Narwhals are preyed upon by man (Inuit hunters legally hunt narwhals), polar bears, orcas, sharks, and walruses.

The Narwhal's gestation period is 10-16 months.  Calves are brown and have no spots (unlike adults who are blue- gray with whitish spots).  Calves are nursed for about 4 months after birth.