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: The narwhal tusk is made of ivory, and is actually a tooth, that spirals out of the upper left side of the jaw and through their lip. They can extend up to 10 feet (3 meters) long and weigh as much as 22 pounds (10 kg). The narwhal averages between 13 to 18 feet (4 to 5.5 meters) in length excluding the males spiral tusk, and weighs 1,760 to 3,530 pounds (800 to 1,600 kg ). Narwhal live in the cracks of dense pack ice for most of the year in the Greenlandic and Canadian Arctic. Like most whales Narwhal, have predictable migration patterns. However, unlike some whale species, they don’t ever leave the Arctic waters. They make annual migrations from high Arctic summering grounds in coastal bays of West Greenland and Canada, to offshore wintering grounds in deeper waters. This is to avoid being trapped by fast ice, and stay close to easy sources of food. Narwhal eat flatfish and halibut during the restricted winter months, which can both be found on the bottom of the sea in the Baffin Bay and Davis Strait. During the summer months they can consume cod and halibut, and will also consume cuttlefish, shrimp and squid where possible.