Narwhal: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Whale Week · day 3 of 7

Five facts

1. A male narwhal's long spiral tusk is really a tooth: a canine that grows out of the left side of its upper jaw.
2. The tusk is packed with millions of nerve endings, so it works as a sense organ that can feel changes in water temperature.
3. Narwhals can dive as deep as 2,370 m, among the deepest of any whale or dolphin. Dives can last up to 25 minutes.
4. Narwhals and belugas can interbreed. Remains of a hybrid, a 'narluga', were found in West Greenland, and DNA confirmed it in 2019.
5. In the Middle Ages, people believed narwhal tusks were the horns of the legendary unicorn.

The quiz

1. What is the narwhal's tusk really?

• A bone spike
• A canine tooth (correct)
• A horn of keratin
• A fused rib

It is a canine tooth from the left side of the upper jaw.

2. What can the tusk sense?

• Colours
• Temperature changes (correct)
• Sounds
• Magnetic fields

It lets the narwhal sense temperature variability.

3. How deep can narwhals dive?

• 237 m
• 2,370 m (correct)
• 23,700 m
• 12 m

They can dive as deep as 2,370 m.

4. Which whale can a narwhal interbreed with?

• Beluga (correct)
• Orca
• Humpback
• Blue whale

They can interbreed, and a hybrid called a narluga was confirmed by DNA.

5. What legendary animal did people link to narwhal tusks?

• Dragon
• Unicorn (correct)
• Griffin
• Sea serpent

A medieval belief said the tusks were unicorn horns.

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