The Closest Thing To A Unicorn On Earth?
From culture, deep-sea dives, and a long, spiraled tusk, discover the hidden world of the Arctic’s most elusive whale.
Picture this. You’re free-diving in the arctic (unlikely to happen, but stay with me here) with the ice floes drifting between the waves of the cold, dark ocean, and you suddenly see a creature swimming toward you. This is no ordinary creature; it has a long, eight to ten foot long tusk, and dark spots all over its grayish body. You blink, half expecting a knight in shining armor to appear in pursuit. But this is no mythical creature; it's a narwhal – the closest thing Earth has to a unicorn.
Diet
Narwhals primarily feed on fish, squid, and shrimp, with Arctic cod and Greenland halibut being some of their favorite meals. Unlike many marine predators, they lack usable teeth in their mouths, so they use suction to slurp up their prey whole instead of chewing normally. The deep, dark, and icy arctic water requires these animals to work together in groups to locate and herd schools of fish. Like other whales, they navigate the dark depths (sometimes up to 1800 meters) using echolocation and precisely pinpoint their prey.
The Mystery of The Spiral Tusk
The most striking feature of the narwhal is its long, spiraled tusk, which can grow up to 10 feet long. Often mistaken for a horn, this tusk is an elongated tooth that sticks out of the upper left side of a narwhal’s jaw. While females sometimes grow smaller tusks, it’s the males that have the more impressive tusks that have fueled myths for centuries.
But what is the purpose of this tusk? Scientists have debated this question for years, and recent research has revealed some surprising uses.
A sensory organ – The tusk is packed with thousands of nerve endings, allowing the narwhal to detect changes in temperature, pressure, and salinity in the water.
A tool for hunting – Scientists recently captured drone footage showing narwhals stunning Arctic char (a cool fish) with precise strikes from their tusks before swallowing them whole, demonstrating the coordination they have over their magnificent tooth.
A social feature – Narwhals engage in a behavior called "tusking," where they raise and cross their tusks out of the water in what some believe to be a ritualistic display for potential mates or a way to assert dominance over rivals. Some narwhals even seem to use their tusks for play, engaging in non-aggressive interactions.
A method of communication – Some researchers believe narwhals use their tusks to send social signals to other members of their pod, blocking or allowing access to food.
But the primary purpose of the narwhal’s tusk is likely for mating/competition for mates. Someone could just deduce this from the fact that female narwhals don’t have tusks, meaning there is a sex-related reason that only males have them.
Culture & Tradition
One of the coolest things I learned while studying these animals is the complex social webs they form. Culture is a huge part of the human experience. It’s how we relate to each other, establish values, and create tradition. What if I told you that we aren’t the only animals that establish cultural bonds? That’s right. Narwhals, and whales in general, all engage in cultural interactions. For example, studies have revealed that older and more experienced narwhals play a crucial role in teaching younger members essential survival skills such as hunting tactics and migration routes. Even more fascinating is that different narwhal pods appear to have unique vocalization dialects, much like regional accents in human languages, allowing them to communicate within their specific groups. Researchers have also observed striking personality differences between individual narwhals, just like in people! For example, some are bold and curious, while others are more cautious and reserved. This level of depth is rarely appreciated in mammals beyond humans.
Threats
For centuries, narwhal tusks were sold across Europe as “unicorn horns”, believed to possess magical properties. Kings and queens paid fortunes for these precious teeth, thinking they could cure disease, neutralize poison, and even grant immortality. Obviously, none of these statements could be proven by any scientific metric.
But despite their mythical status, narwhals face very real threats today. Climate change is altering Arctic ecosystems, causing sea ice loss and changing the availability of prey. Additionally, narwhals are vulnerable to industrial activity, as increased shipping and oil exploration disrupt their habitats and echolocation abilities.
Currently, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) lists narwhals as Near Threatened, meaning conservation efforts are crucial to ensuring their survival. Scientists are now using drones and non-invasive tracking methods to study narwhal behavior, helping researchers understand how these whales are adapting to their continuously changing world.
An Animal Like No Other
To summarize everything, the narwhal is a living legend of a creature. This animal defies expectations and continues to captivate scientists and nature lovers alike. From its spiraled tusk to its deep-diving abilities, this “unicorn of the sea” remains one of the most fascinating and mysterious creatures in the ocean. And don’t even get me started on their cultural bonds that mimic those of people. Simply astounding.
I think that spotting a narwhal is about as rare and magical as seeing a unicorn itself.
Drawing of The Week
This week, I tried my best to create an even more fantastical version of the narwhal (who said it couldn’t look cooler?). The fins were supposed to more or less look like that of the narwhal, but my drawing skills limit me to how well I can recreate fins. Unlike a narwhal, my version has really broad shoulders and a muscular frame indicating heavy lifting in the arctic gym. Even more unlike a narwhal, the tail is almost like the stinger of a honeybee. I’m not exactly sure what it’s supposed to be, but I think it looks cool given the deep-blue, light-blue, and pink color scheme. But let’s address the focal point of the image. The four “tusks” on top of this creature’s head. I first thought of just having one in the spirit of the narwhal. But then I thought, let’s make this drawing even more unique and add three more. Now it looks like a knock-off of the Statue of Liberty. Anyways, I tried my best to add some detail to the body and give some spots that narwhals usually have as well. Hope you enjoyed my drawing and article this week. Thanks for sticking around till the end. If you got to this point, comment how you would change my drawing to make it better, or if it’s perfect as it is (highly doubt this is the case, nonetheless).
Here are all the buttons you could ever need.