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Narwhal

This Science Minute was researched and written by John V. of Dryden, NY.

The narwhal is an unusual whale of the arctic. The males have a long, ivory tusk coming out their upper jaw. The tusk can be up to eight or nine feet long!

Scientists aren't sure why males have this tusk. It may be used to attract females and assert dominance over other males. Or, it may be used to detect information about the whales' environment, including the temperature, salinity, and pressure of ocean water.

Narwhal are a migratory species, traveling in groups of 10 or more. In summer months they live closer to the arctic coasts. During the winter, they move further out into the ocean.

The name "narwhal" comes from an Old Norse word meaning "corpse whale." The name may come from the animals' habit of lying belly-up, unmoving, for minutes at a time. It may also refer to the narwhal's mottled gray and white color, which perhaps looks like the skin of a drowned sailor!