11 Fascinating Facts About Narwhals
- The Narwhal whale is unique among whale species and has a long ivory tusk that extends from the upper left side of its jaw. The tusks measure 7 to 10 feet in length.
- Narwhals swim belly up and lay motionless for several minutes and this has earned them the name, “corpse whale.”
- Narwhals use their foreheads to feel sound waves and hear each other as they bounce through water.
- Their squeals or whistles can make humans deaf.
- They travel in pods of 4 – 20 whales. They are often separated by gender.
- Narwhals use their tusks as terrifying weapons when they are courting and also when they wish to display dominance among rivals. The female tusk is shorter than the male tusk.
- They live to be up to 50 years old.
- They can dive to depths of about 5,000 feet when looking for food.
- They migrate from coastal water towards the offshore to prevent being trapped by ice in winter.
- Inuit people hunt the narwhal for their long tusks and their skin, an important source of vitamin C in the traditional Arctic diet.
- The average weight of a narwhal is one ton.
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