und on adult males, is one of two medium-sized whales found in the
Arctic waters of the northwestern Atlantic. They reach a maximum length
of from 15 to 16 feet (4.6 to 4.9 m) excluding the tusk. Newborn calves
are approximately 5 feet (1.5 m) long. Narwhals have small rounded heads
and a small mouth. Like the other medium-sized whale in the same region,
the beluga or white whale, the narwhal has no dorsal fin. Instead, it
has a series of bumps, approximately 2 inches (5.1 cm) high along the
midline of the back in the half nearest the tail. The ridge created by
these bumps may be readily seen on a swimming animal.

The basic coloration of the species changes slightly with age. Young
animals are uniformly dark bluish gray on the back but rapidly begin to
develop the numerous leopardlike spots on the back and sides
characteristic of adults. Those spots rarely extend onto the belly even
in old animals.

Narwhals have only two teeth. In the females, these teeth rarely emerge
from the gums. In males, one and sometimes both of those teeth grow out
the front of the snout, spiraling in a left-hand or sinistral direction,
and may reach a length of 9 feet (2.7 m). One or two tusks may also be
exposed, however, in females.

Natural History Notes

The function of the tusk in male narwhals is unknown, but it was this
feature of the animal that earned it the name "unicorn whale" and
resulted in its extensive hunting by whalers. During their annual
migrations narwhals may congregate but are commonly found in groups of
10 or fewer during the rest of the year.

Narwhals feed on a variety of organisms, including cod, rockfish,
flounder, and crabs, but their diet consists primarily of squid.

Distribution

Narwhals are found in the high arctic seas of the western North
Atlantic, primarily in Lancaster Sound and its fringes. It has been
noted that they are found in isolated pockets within that range and are
not, like the beluga, widely distributed.

Narwhals make annual migrations in response to the movement of the ice.
During the fall as the ice begins to form, the whales migrate to the
south, sometimes reaching the Labrador coast. In the spring they return
to the pack ice.

May Be Confused With

Narwhals are so different in coloration from the only medium-sized
cetacean which shares its range and habitat--the beluga--that the two
are highly unlikely to be confused. Belugas are usually all white or
light slate gray in c