Featured Image Credit: World Wildlife Fund
By Alice Morris
Narwhals, they’re elusive, mysterious, and completely bizarre. So bizarre in fact that many people don’t even know they are real and not a taxidermist’s practical joke. Here are just nine reasons why we can’t get enough of these “unicorns of the sea.”
1) They have some of the the best teeth in the animal kingdom
The narwhal is easily recognizable due to its long-spiraled “unicorn horn.” Well it turns out that the horn is not a horn at all, but an enlarged ivory tooth. Males have two of these teeth, one that is only a foot long and embedded in the skull, and a second that can grow up to ten feet long and weigh 22 pounds.
And before you start thinking the boys have all the fun, about 15% of female narwhals will also grow one of these long teeth, though it will usually be shorter than the male’s.
2) No one knows for sure what the tooth is for
Narwhals may flaunt their tusks to impress the ladies, or they may come in handy during conflicts with other males.
However, recent studies suggest that the narwhal’s tusk, which is porous and chock-full of nerve endings, could also provide the whale with information about water temperature, pressure, and salinity. With that many uses, it’s like a Swiss army knife built right into your forehead!
3) The narwhal hasn’t always drawn such favorable nicknames
The word narwhal comes from the Norse word “nar,” which means “corpse-like,” because the pale color of the whales allegedly resembles the corpses of drowned sailors. Not the most charming of names.
Meanwhile, the Inuit name for the narwhal, Oialugaq qernartaq means “the one that points to the sky.” That’s more like it.
Still not as elegant as “unicorn of the sea,” but it certainly beats corpse whale!
4) They really seem to know how to throw a party
Narwhals are social animals that typically travel in pods of 10-100, but on occasion, groups will congregate to form “super pods” of hundreds or even thousands of individuals. These meetings usually happen during the summer months when the whales migrate closer to shore in the shallower, ice-free waters.
Sounds like a whale of a party!
5) There’s a fascinating story behind their origin
According to an Inuit legend, the narwhal’s tusk was created when a woman with a harpoon tied to her waist was dragged out to sea after hunting a large narwhal. The woman was soon transformed into a narwhal and her hair, which had been tied back in a twisted knot, became the spiraling tusk of a narwhal.
6) They’re worth many times their weight in gold
In medieval times, narwhal tusks were often given to royalty. In the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth received a carved and bejeweled tusk worth approximately £10,000. That was about the cost of a castle back then!
Of course, now there are very strict rules about hunting narwhals, but populations off eastern Canada and Greenland are still a source of concern because intense hunting continues.
7) They are the oranges of the animal world
It sounds weird, but it’s actually true. There is just as much vitamin C in one ounce of narwhal skin than there is in an ounce of oranges. For this reason, narwhal skin is a vital part of the Inuit diet.
8) They are champion hunters and divers
Narwhals are carnivores that feed on halibut, cod, squid, shrimp and other deep-sea fish that are often very difficult to reach. Luckily, narwhals are one of the best divers in the world, with the ability to dive up to 1,500 meters deep and hold their breaths for as long as 25 minutes. Gasp.
Equally interesting is their method for catching prey. Similar to species of beaked whales, narwhals feed by sucking prey into their mouths using a great deal of force like a vacuum.
Not by spearing their food like a shish kabob -although that would be gnarly.
9) They need our help
Like so many Arctic animals, narwhals face threats from global warming and their rapidly changing environment. In addition, runoff from drilling and mining pollute their environment and noise pollution from shipping vessels interfere with their communication.
The WWF initiative, Don’t Be a Buckethead, was created to raise awareness for the threat of noise pollution, but it’s not putting a freeze on their near-threatened status yet.
Need more narwhal facts? Read more about the magical and very real sea unicorn here and here.