Description
The Narwhal (Monodon monoceros) is a mammal indigenous to Greenland. It inhabits arctic and sub-arctic waters, particularly around sea ice and deep fjords.
Habitat
Extended Data
Taxonomy
Fun Facts
The narwhal's iconic 'tusk' is actually an elongated canine tooth that spirals counterclockwise up to 3 meters (10 feet) long — it is found almost exclusively on males
Their tusk contains up to 10 million nerve endings and may function as a sensory organ to detect changes in water salinity, temperature, and pressure
Narwhals are one of the deepest-diving marine mammals, capable of diving to depths of 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) and staying submerged for 25 minutes
In Greenlandic Inuit culture, narwhals are deeply important — narwhal meat (mattak) is a traditional food and the tusks have been traded for centuries
Medieval Europeans believed narwhal tusks were unicorn horns, making them among the most valuable objects in the world — even more precious than gold