# Narwhal (*Monodon monoceros*)

> The narwhal is an Arctic whale famous for the long, spiraled tusk that grows from the head of most males. The tusk is actually an enlarged tooth packed with nerves. Narwhals live year-round in the icy waters of the Arctic, reach about 5 m (16 ft) excluding the tusk, and can live 50 years or more.

- **Category:** Mammal
- **Conservation status (IUCN):** Least Concern
- **Range:** Arctic waters of Canada, Greenland, Norway, and Russia, with the largest numbers around Baffin Bay.
- **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/narwhal/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Artiodactyla
- **Family:** Monodontidae
- **Genus:** Monodon

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Monodon monoceros |
| Diet | Carnivore (fish, squid, shrimp) |
| Habitat | Arctic oceans and ice-edge waters |
| Lifespan | 50+ years |
| Weight | 800–1,600 kg (1,800–3,500 lb) |
| Length | 4–5.5 m (13–18 ft) excluding tusk |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |

## The tusk that inspired unicorns

The narwhal's spiraled tusk is its most famous feature — a single tooth that grows straight through the upper lip and can reach 3 m (10 ft) long. Found mainly in males, it is packed with millions of nerve endings, making it a sensitive organ as well as a possible weapon. In medieval Europe, narwhal tusks were sold as unicorn horns for enormous sums.

## Life in the Arctic ice

Narwhals are one of the few whales that live in the high Arctic all year, moving with the advancing and retreating sea ice. In winter they dive beneath dense pack ice to depths of more than 1,500 m (4,900 ft) in search of fish, surfacing to breathe through narrow cracks and breathing holes in the ice.

## Diet and diving

Narwhals are deep-diving carnivores that feed on Greenland halibut, Arctic cod, squid, and shrimp, often hunting near the seabed in near-total darkness. They make some of the deepest dives of any marine mammal and may use their tusks to stun fish, a behavior that has been filmed in the wild.

## Habitat and range

Narwhals live in the Arctic waters of Canada, Greenland, Norway, and Russia, with the largest numbers around Baffin Bay between Canada and Greenland. They travel in groups and migrate seasonally between deep offshore wintering grounds and shallower coastal bays in summer.

## Conservation

The narwhal is listed as Least Concern, but it is highly specialized and considered one of the marine mammals most vulnerable to climate change. Shrinking sea ice, increased shipping noise, and changing prey all threaten it, and it is still hunted under managed subsistence quotas by Arctic Indigenous communities.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the narwhal's tusk a horn or a tooth?

It is a tooth. The tusk is a greatly enlarged canine tooth that grows through the upper lip, usually in males, and is filled with sensitive nerves.

### Why is the narwhal called the unicorn of the sea?

Because of its single long, spiraled tusk. In medieval times these tusks were traded as mythical unicorn horns, and the resemblance gave the narwhal its nickname.

### What do narwhals eat?

Narwhals are carnivores that feed on Greenland halibut, Arctic cod, squid, and shrimp, diving very deep beneath the sea ice to hunt.

### Where do narwhals live?

Narwhals live year-round in the Arctic Ocean, mainly around Canada and Greenland, moving with the sea ice between deep offshore waters in winter and coastal bays in summer.

### How long do narwhals live?

Narwhals are long-lived, commonly reaching 50 years and sometimes considerably more, based on studies of growth layers in their tissues.

## Sources

- Lowry, L. et al. (2017). Monodon monoceros. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
- [Animal Diversity Web — Monodon monoceros. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Monodon_monoceros/)
- Nowak, R. M. (1999). Walker's Mammals of the World (6th ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press.

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/narwhal/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.