Title: 22 Astonishing Narwhal Facts - Fact Animal
Headings: Narwhal Facts
Narwhal Facts
Narwhal Profile
Narwhal Facts Overview
Interesting Narwhal Facts
1. In 1577 the English explorer Martin Frobisher laid eyes on a dead narwhal, describing it as a ‘sea-unicorn’.
2. Both male & females are born with two small teeth embedded in their skulls, but only in males does the front left tooth grow into a spiral tusk.
3. Around 1 in 500 narwhal males have two tusks.
4. The tusk is an ‘ivory’ canine tooth, that spirals out of the upper left side of the jaw.
5. Their tusks primarily relate to mating, in a similar way to an antlers of a stag.
6. Narwhals use their tusks to hunt for fish.
7. Their tusks exhibit sensory ability, due to nerve endings enabling it to detect water-salinity changes.
8. They suck prey into their mouths and swallow them whole.
9. Females will give birth to a calf once every 3 years.
10. Narwhals regularly spend their winter in Davis Strait and Baffin Bay, which has less than 5% open water, due to pack ice.
11. Narwhals are among the deepest diving animals in the world. They can dive up to 1.8 kilometers (1.1 mile) in depth, without returning to the surface for breath, for over 25 minutes.
12. They have evolved to withstand incredible water pressure.
13. The origin of the name narwhal comes from the Icelandic words ‘nar’, meaning ‘corpse’ (in reference to its pale white color), and hvalr (whale).
14. They are rarely ever seen by humans.
15. Narwhal travel in pods between 2-3 to several hundred.
16. Narwhals are about 50% body fat and their blubber is 3-4 inches thick.
17. Narwhals are vulnerable to ice entrapment (‘Sassats’).
18. Their major predators are polar bears, which attack them at breathing holes.
19. Queen Elizabeth I is said to have spent £10,000 on a narwhal tusk (the equivalent to £2m today), and had it placed within the crown jewels.
20. Narwhal tusks are highly prized by collectors, and can fetch up to £10,000 each.
21. Hunting of narwhals in Canada and Greenland is legal by Canadian Inuit and Greenland hunters (to help support their traditions & communities).
22. Climate change is the primary threat to narwhals.
Narwhal Fact-File Summary
Scientific Classification
Fact Sources & References

Content: This grows from the front right side of its upper jaw. 4. The tusk is an ‘ivory’ canine tooth, that spirals out of the upper left side of the jaw. They can extend up to 10 feet (3 meters) long and weigh as much as 22 pounds (10 kg). 5. Their tusks primarily relate to mating, in a similar way to an antlers of a stag. Males use the tusks to determine social status, dominance over other males, and compete for mating females. 6. Narwhals use their tusks to hunt for fish. Drone footage of wild narwhals captured by Researchers from WWF-Canada shows them using their spiral tusk, to hunt fish.