Narwhal

The narwhal (Monodon monoceros), also known as the narwhale, is a species of toothed whale. It is a member of the family Monodontidae, and the only species in the genus Monodon. Adults are typically 3.5 to 5.5 m (11 to 18 ft) in length and 800 to 1,600 kg (1,800 to 3,500 lb) in weight. The most prominent feature of the species is an adult male's long single tusk that can be up to 3 m (9.8 ft). Instead of a dorsal fin, narwhals possess a shallow dorsal ridge. They are gregarious animals, and may associate in groups of up to 20 members. Carl Linnaeus scientifically described the species in 1758 in his work Systema Naturae.

They are mostly found in Arctic waters, and are only vulnerable to predatory attacks from polar bears and orcas. Narwhals typically visit the Baffin Bay, between June and September. After this period, they move to Davis Strait, a journey that spans around 1,700 km (1,100 mi), and they stay there until April. Their prey mostly consists of Greenland halibut, polar and Arctic cod, cuttlefish, shrimp, and armhook squid. Narwhals are one of the deepest-diving marine mammals, with many individuals diving at depths of over 1,500 m (4,900 ft). Adults mate in the offshore pack ice in April or May, and their gestation lasts for an average of 15 months. Like most other cetaceans, narwhals use clicks, whistles and knocks to communicate with each other.

There are estimated to be 170,000 living narwhals in the world, and the species is listed as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Narwhals have been harvested for hundreds of years by Inuit in northern Canada and Greenland for meat and ivory and a regulated subsistence hunt continues. Narwhals have been depicted in human culture since ancient times.