Twelve narwhal facts, fact-checked
The narwhal (Monodon monoceros) is an Arctic toothed whale with the strangest tooth in the animal kingdom. Full profile in our narwhal guide.
1. The tusk is a tooth
It is the left canine, growing straight out through the upper lip, typically in males and reaching around 3 m.
2. It spirals anticlockwise, always
Every narwhal tusk twists in the same direction, whatever the individual.
3. It is a sensory organ
Roughly ten million nerve endings run to the surface, letting the animal sense water temperature, pressure and salinity through it.
4. Narwhals have almost no other teeth
Beyond the tusk they are effectively toothless, swallowing prey whole by suction.
5. They use the tusk to stun fish
Drone footage recorded narwhals tapping and stunning Arctic cod with the tusk — the first direct evidence of it being used in feeding.
6. They dive beyond 1,500 m
Among the deepest-diving whales, repeatedly, in near-freezing water.
7. They fuelled the unicorn trade
Tusks were sold across medieval Europe as unicorn horn, at many times their weight in gold.
8. They have no dorsal fin
A low ridge instead — an adaptation for swimming beneath sea ice.
9. They stay in the Arctic year-round
Unlike most whales they do not migrate to warmer water, moving instead between coastal summer and offshore winter areas.
10. Some grow two tusks
Rarely, the right canine also erupts, producing a double-tusked narwhal.
11. Ice entrapment kills them
If leads freeze over, whole groups can be trapped and drown — an event becoming less predictable as ice patterns shift.
12. Noise is a growing threat
Narwhals are exceptionally sensitive to disturbance, and increased Arctic shipping and seismic survey noise affect their behaviour at long range.
Read the full narwhal wildlife guide for IUCN status, population context and sources — or donate to WARN to help fund the partner teams protecting wildlife on the ground.
