The narwhal (Monodon monoceros) is a species of toothed whale native to the Arctic. It is the only member of the genus Monodon, and one of two living representatives of the family Monodontidae. The narwhal has a similar build to the closely related beluga whale, with which it overlaps in range and can interbreed. Common characteristics of the narwhal include a stocky body with a prominent melon, short snout, small upcurved flippers, a shallow dorsal ridge along its back, and a large 1.5 to 3.0 m (4 ft 11 in to 9 ft 10 in) long tusk in males. The tusk, which is derived from the left canine, is thought to serve as a weapon or as a tool for feeding, attracting mates or sensing water salinity. The jointed neck vertebrae and shallow dorsal ridge may allow for agile movements under the ice, thereby facilitating Arctic survival.
Three narwhals in the ocean.
The narwhal inhabits Arctic waters of Canada, Greenland and Russia. Every year, it migrates to ice-free summering grounds, usually in shallow waters, and often returns to the same sites in subsequent years. Its diet mainly consists of polar and Arctic cod, Greenland halibut, cuttlefish, shrimp, and armhook squid. Plunging at depths of up to 2,370 m (7,780 ft), the narwhal is among the deepest-diving cetaceans. It travels in groups of three to eight, with aggregations of up to 1,000 occurring in the summer months. It mates in the offshore pack ice from March to May, and the young are born in July or August of the following year. When communicating, a variety of clicks, whistles and knocks are used.
There are an estimated 170,000 living narwhals, and the species is listed as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The population is threatened by the effects of climate change, such as the reduction in ice cover, and human activities such as pollution and hunting. The narwhal has been hunted for thousands of years by Inuit in northern Canada and Greenland for meat and ivory, and regulated subsistence hunts continue.
