Narwhal By Ronan and David

Introduction The unicorn of the ocean the narwhal is one of the rarest whales in the world. Narwhals are very elusive and mysterious in nature, and very distinct in appearance due to the large horn-like tusk on their faces. The tusk is actually a tooth that grows from the upper jaw of male narwhals.  

Habitat Diet Narwhals are mostly found in the Atlantic and Russian waters of the Arctic. They have been known to travel around Greenland to eastern Russia.   Narwhals consume squid, fish and shrimp.

Population The narwhal is a medium-sized toothed whale Narwhal population estimates indicate around 45,000-50,000 individuals

Facts Its thought that narwhal horns used in trade or washed up on beaches gave credence to the myth of unicorns on land . Narwhals only have two teeth and in the males, the left one grows out of the jaw into a long spiralled tusk that can reach 2.5m in length and is prone to breaking

More facts It is thought that the long tusk is used to spear food, for defence and as a weapon for competing males. However, its most likely use is to impress females, as an indication of the fittest mate.

Question Time? How many teeth does a Narwhal have? How long does the tusk grow? What do they eat?