The Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea
The Narwhal : Monodon monoceros
Characteristics: Around 18 feet in length and 3000 pounds in weight; the Narwhal's size is similar to a Beluga's. With a long tusk protruding from the front of its head, two flippers, and black spots over white skin, the Narwhal is one of the world's most recognizable whales.
Habitat: Scattered through the Arctic Ocean and adjacent Northern Atlantic Ocean, Narwhals participate in seasonal migrations, moving from deep icy water in winter to shallow coastal waters in the summer.
Diet: The Narwhal is a carnivore, and its diet is so specific that it can't survive in captivity. Cod, halibut, and redfish make up the majority of the Narwhal's diet while other marine creatures like shrimp and squid provide supplemental prey.
Conservation: Near Threatened
Why the Narwhal? Why not the Beluga? (Which would probably win mascot of the Arctic Ocean if I put my stats skills to the test and made a poll)
While the Beluga is iconic for its adorable squishy face and pearly white body, the Narwhal is known for...wait for it...the unicorn horn. Too obvious? At a cursory glance, the Narwhal may just seem like another whale: a mottled gray giant drifting through the sea with only one aspect making it stand out from all the other whales out there. But like any other species I've written about, there's more than meets the eye.
I chose the Narwhal because of its magical and mysterious qualities that embody what the Arctic is to me. And no, by magical, I don't just mean the Narwhal's famous unicorn horn (which really seems more frightening than fascinating; keep reading and you'll see what I mean). Made out of ivory, the Narwhal's horn is actually referred to as a tusk which is actually an upper left canine tooth. Ignore the weird dental situation happening here; some Narwhals even have two of these tusks. This long tooth replaces all the other teeth other animals have. Yep, Narwhals don't have teeth! While most males have the extended tooth, only around 15% of females do, which seems really unfair. Narwhals' unicorn horns are basically spears that can cut a body in half with one nod of the head; I think the ladies need this power too.
But wait. Power or curse? Imagine murdering someone by way of sneezing. But research has suggested that these tusks are not used as weapons of any kind. And this led me to ask, how do Narwhals live life without stabbing something every 10 seconds?
Narwhals live in pods of 15-20 members to protect themselves from predators such as larger whales, polar bears, and humans. These close-knit pods may even join with other pods during migration season and form armies of hundreds of literal backstabbers. See below for an illustration.
Pod of Narwhals = Herd of Unicorns
If I were a Narwhal, you can bet that I'd be in the back of the pack so no one can accidently (or intentionally; I can be pretty annoying sometimes) stab me in the back. Although there has never been a reported incident of a Narwhal stabbing another Narwhal, it's pretty hard to believe that this has never happened before. According to Reddit and a number of other trusted sources, Narwhals are able to avoid accidental collisions because the nerves that runs through the tusks are sensitive enough that each individual is aware of even the slightest contact with skin. Additionally, the 3-4 inches of blubber surrounding the Narwhal provides not just thermal insulation but also armor (for lack of a better word). Human skin can be easy to puncture, but the skin of marine mammals in general is usually pretty tough.
And you got to be tough if you're going to survive in the Arctic Ocean's below freezing waters. Narwhals, along with many of other Arctic whales, are made up of 50% fat, which is 50% more than the fat make-up of other whales. No body shaming here; this fat keeps marine mammals warm and is essential to survival. Narwhals also have flexible rib cages that are able to compress as they swim at deeper depths, where pressure can exceed 2000 pounds per square inch! Another reason why Narwhals are able to execute long and deep dives is because of their exceptionally high concentration of myoglobin (which contains oxygen). This concentration is 8 times more than of terrestrial species and one of the highest concentrations of all species.
As stated above, Narwhals spend the majority of the year in Arctic waters under the Arctic ice. They are actually the only whales that spend winter in sea ice. Almost every aspect of a Narwhal's life is connected to the rapidly thawing Arctic sea ice. Seasonal migrations, food sources, and breeding/mating seasons are all dependent on when the ice thaws and freezes again. Climate change is especially detrimental to the Narwhals' way of life; the melting sea ice causes extreme changes in the Narwhal's year to year migrations, food sources, and breeding/mating seasons. Ice cover is also a way that Narwhals stay hidden from predators such as Orcas and Polar Bears. Along with noise pollution, which interferes communication in and between pods regarding navigation, danger, and breeding/mating, Climate change is one of the greatest threats to the Narwhal population.
There are about 80,000-100,000 Narwhals left in the ocean, meaning that this species is categorized as Near Threatened. However, some sources still consider the Narwhal as Least Concern as the Near Threatened status was only updated this past year. Keep up, other sources.
Narwhals are essential to their ecosystems because of their role as top predators, meaning their presence maintains overall ecosystem health. And they're incredibly unique creatures worth appreciating. Living out dreams of fantasy under the Arctic ice, the unicorn of the sea seems to be made out of more fiction than fact. Not much is known about Narwhals because they're so elusive and spend so much time under the ice. We do know that they swallow prey whole, can swim for a mile straight down into the abyss, and swim upside down while they're at it. And we know that their gold-coiled tusks resembling unicorn horns have inspired countless myths along the centuries.
The fact that we know so little about Narwhals are in part of what makes them so special. In a world where we know so much, I think it's humbling and exciting that we have the Narwhal swimming in our oceans. Who knows what they do miles down underneath the ice? Who knows what their horns are truly used for? The quest to find the answers to these questions are what have inspired the outlandish legends and theories that I personally love. Narwhals don't seem real (the number of conspiracy-styled statements saying they actually aren't is amazing), and I truly treasure how we have this fantasy-like creatures on our earth. I'd say I want to discover more about these unicorns of the sea but that would take the magic away, and at least here in the Arctic, magic is everything.
Studying narwhals is no easy tusk | UW Magazine — University of Washington Magazine
https://animalia.bio/narwhal
https://animals.mom.com/adaptations-narwhals-10689.html
https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/e994w/how_do_narwhals_swin_around_without_stabbing_each/
http://marysbeagooddogblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/narwhal-pod-and-national-wildife.html
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