Interesting Facts

Narwhals, being a very unique species, have extremely unique fun facts. One such fact is that narwhals communicate using clicks, squeals and whistles. Another interesting fact is that a narwhal’s “horn” is actually a completely hollow tooth. Narwhals actually have two teeth, however only one protrudes through the upper lip. This tooth can reach lengths of 7 to 10 feet.

An Approximated Narwhal To Human Ratio

An additional interesting fact is that the tusk’s tough core and soft outer layer result in a tusk that is both strong and flexible. It can bend significantly without cracking, which is important for a tusk as long as the narwhal’s. Also, narwhals segregate into pods based upon sexes so that only one sex appears in a particular pod.

A Female Pod Of Narwhals

A Pod Composed Completely Of Males

One interesting mystery of the Narwhal is the purpose of its horn. Some theorize that males “joust” with their tusks or use them to poke their way through ice floes or even to skewer prey. However, the tusk probably serves as an important sexual characteristic for males, indicating which males are older and more mature. Another interesting misconception about narwhals is how they eat. Contrary to common belief, narwhals do not spear fish with their tusks, but instead suck prey into their mouth and then swallow it whole:

“Some people think that the narwhal uses its tusk as a way to fight or snare food, but neither of these possibilities appear to be factual. However, we do know that the narwhal is a suction feeder, and this means that it swallows its food whole like many other Arctic region animals such as emperor penguins. Narwhals live on a diet that primarily consists of eight food sources: squid, rockfish, Greenland halibut, shrimp, crab, polar cod, flounder and Arctic cod” (http://www.oceanwide-expeditions.com/blog/article/the-narwhal-so-much-more-than-just-a-wacky-viral-video#sthash.eOQACqur.dpuf).

As its “tusk” has millions of sensory nerves, it is believed that it would be far too painful for the narwhal to impale other creatures.