Narwhal Whales
The 'unicorn of the sea' and the wildlife of the far north — sourced, fact-checked guides to the narwhal and the animals that share its Arctic world.
The 'unicorn of the sea' and the wildlife of the far north — sourced, fact-checked guides to the narwhal and the animals that share its Arctic world.
Narwhal Whales is a free, sourced reference to the narwhal — the Arctic "unicorn of the sea" — and the wildlife of the far north. We publish 15 narwhal guides and 8 Arctic-species fact pages, each fact-checked against reputable wildlife authorities.
The narwhal is a real Arctic whale whose males grow a long, spiralled tusk — an enlarged tooth that, traded for centuries as a 'unicorn horn', gave the animal its legend. We cover the tusk, its diet, life cycle, behaviour, and conservation with facts sourced to the IUCN Red List, NOAA Fisheries, and other wildlife authorities.
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The narwhal does not live alone. Its world is shared by the beluga and bowhead whales, the orcas that hunt it, and the walrus, polar bear, and seals of the ice. Our species pages and comparison table put them side by side.
Use the facts explorer to find the Arctic animal you're curious about.
Open the facts explorer →Here at the Narwhal Whales website we have collected information about and pictures of the narwhal, and hope to provide a good source for anyone who is looking to learn more about these majestic creatures which are widely unknown. Even though the narwhal may look like a mythical creature or one from a fairytale, it is not. It is a real mammal that lives in the Arctic seas (more on the narwhal habitat). It is a cetacean with an appearance similar to a Beluga whale, and Irrawaddy dolphin. The name narwhal is a derivation from an Old Norse word that means “corpse man” (nahvalr). This description is generally attributed to the fact that the narwhal whale has a white and gray coloring when fully grown. The name is further supported by the fact that the narwhal whale can lie belly-up for several minutes without much motion.
Narwhal whales are, however, known more for their almost unicorn-like tusk that springs from their forehead (in the male of the species), or so it seems. The tusk is actually a tooth which grows from the left side of the upper jaw and is twisted into a left handed helix. The narwhal tusk can but up to three meters long. Narwhals are active mammals, just like most of the cetaceans, and feed primarily on cod. But, they have also been known to eat squid, shrimp as well as fish (i.e. halibut, redfish).
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