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Unicorn of the sea: narwhal facts

This unique-looking, toothed whale spends its life in Arctic waters

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Two narwhals poke their heads and tusks out of the water near an iceburg

© Eric Baccega / naturepl.com / WWF

Often dubbed the unicorns of the sea, narwhals are strange and beautiful creatures with long tusks protruding from their heads. Members of the population of more than 80,000 can weigh up to 4,200 pounds and grow as long as 17 feet in length. Read on to learn more about these fascinating animals.

A narwhal lifts a dark fin above the surface of the water and its tusk is visible just below with ice in the background

© Bryan and Cherry Alexander / naturepl.com / WWF

1. What is a narwhal tusk?

The narwhal tusk—most commonly found on males—is actually an enlarged tooth with sensory capability and up to 10 million nerve endings inside. Some narwhals have up to two tusks, while others have none. The spiraled tusk juts from the head and can grow as long as 10 feet.

A narwhal's off-white and brown tusk lefts out of the water

© naturepl.com  / Bryan and Cherry Alexander / WWF

2. Where do narwhals live?

A pod of narwhals swims at the surface of the water with some of their backs above the surface

© Pascal Kobeh / naturepl.com / WWF

Unlike some whale species that migrate, narwhals spend their lives in the Arctic waters of Canada, Greenland, Norway, and Russia. Most narwhals winter for up to five months under sea ice in the Baffin Bay-Davis Strait area.

3. What threats do narwhals face?

Oil and gas development and climate change pose threats to narwhals. Increased development means more shipping vessels, creating more opportunities for collisions and more underwater noise that can interfere with communication among the whales. WWF helps raise awareness of and address the threat of noise pollution on narwhals and other whales. 

The red deck of a cargo ship covers the bottom right corner of the image with a sea of choppy ice taking up the rest

© Alexey Bakharev/Shutterstock

4. What do narwhals eat?

Narwhals feed on Greenland halibut, Arctic and polar cod, squid, and shrimp. They do their chomping at the ice floe edge and in the ice-free summer waters.

5. How deep do narwhals dive?

The top of a narwhal as it descends into water.

© naturepl.com /Doug Allan / WWF-Canon

Narwhals can dive about a mile deep in the ocean. Cracks in the sea ice above allow them to pop up for air when they need it.

6. What color are narwhals?

A mostly white narwhal with dark spots and a long tusk swims in very dark blue water

© Doc White / naturepl.com / WWF

Narwhals change color as they age. Newborns are blue-gray, juveniles are blue-black, and adults are a mottled gray. Old narwhals are nearly all white.

7. How do we learn more about narwhals?

WWF learns more about the movements of narwhals through satellite tracking. We document the paths of narwhals during their annual feeding and reproductive routines to better understand the species.

Learn more about narwhals

A pod of whales swims together through an open channel between ice sheets

© naturepl.com /Doug Allan / WWF-Canon

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A narwhal plush against a white background

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