Most people in today’s society are quite familiar with the narwhal, a creature that can be described, in short, as a whale with a horn on its head. However, the image that comes to mind for many is that of a cartoon or a magical rendition of this creature. This leads many to assume that, much like the unicorn, the narwhal is simply the fruit of an overactive imagination: fictitious. However, narwhals are quite real.

   While unicorns are what people may think of when asked what a narwhal is related to, narwhals are a species of toothed whale closely related to whales such as belugas. They are found in cold seas in the arctic, along coastlines and even in rivers up north. Narwhals can grow up to 18 feet in length and weigh over 3,500 pounds. These whales live the lives of many other species of whale: hunting fish, squid, and shrimp in their native waters. The narwhal’s predators include orcas, and interestingly, polar bears. This description seems like that of a simple whale, but why do they have such a large horn on their head? 

   The “horn” of a narwhal is actually an overdeveloped tooth that grows in a spiral design into a long, specialized tusk. Narwhals inherently have two longer teeth growing out of the front of their upper jaw, but in most cases, only one of these teeth fully develops into a full tusk. Many females have two vestigial teeth and do not develop a tusk. It is also possible for both of these teeth to develop into tusks, resulting in a double-horned narwhal. 

   Much like the horn of a rhino, narwhals use their tusks for self-defense, and many males use the tusks to fight each other for mates during mating season. It has been discovered that narwhals may also use their tusks to hunt food and even to help determine the salt concentration of the waters they are in, since they are found in both fresh and salt water areas.

   When thinking of narwhals, not many think of these interesting facts that make up who these creatures are. However, there is much to learn about these entirely real arctic animals. With populations of over 80,000, the narwhal is not considered endangered and will hopefully be around for a very long time to prove its existence to any and all doubters.