Title: Polar Science Center » Narwhal FAQ
Headings: Narwhal FAQ
Narwhal FAQ
What is the narwhal tusk and what is it used for?
What do narwhals look like?
Where does the word ‘narwhal’ come from?
What are the reproductive patterns of narwhals?
How long do narwhals live?
How many narwhals are there in the world? Is it all one population?
Do narwhals travel in pods and how big are pods?
How do you figure out where narwhals go and what they do underwater?
Do narwhals migrate and what is their seasonal cycle?
How deep do narwhals dive?
How do narwhals make such deep dives?
Why do they make deep dives?
How do you know what narwhals eat if you can’t see them underwater?
Do narwhals like sea ice?
What is an ice entrapment?
Do narwhals make noises?
Do research collaborations involve native communities?
Why is the narwhal important to native communities?
Why is it important to study narwhals?
What threats are currently facing narwhals?
Can narwhals survive climate change?
Where can I find references for all of the above?
Other useful links to narwhal information

Content: The scientific consensus is that the narwhal tusk is a sexual trait, much like the antlers of a stag, the mane of a lion or the feathers of a peacock. Males use the tusk to determine social rank and compete for females. During the summertime in the northern Canadian high Arctic bays and fjords (long narrow inlets), male narwhals can be seen carefully crossing their tusks and making a strange, sad whistle. There is often a female between them. Such behavior might help maintain dominance hierarchies or help young males develop skills necessary for performance in adult sexual roles. The sexual selection theory was originally proposed by Charles Darwin in his theories of sexual selection in his book The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex (1871). Darwin makes the case very succinctly: “When the males are provided with weapons which the females do not possess, there can hardly be a doubt that they … have been acquired through sexual selection.” This observation echoes one made by the arctic explorer William Scoresby in his book: An Account of the Arctic Regions with a History and Description of the Northern Whale-Fishery (1820).