The whale is a representative of the toothed whale suborder. It belongs to the order “cetaceans”, the “narwhal” family. Males have a long, straight tusk. The species of the narwhal is unique and the mind is very developed.
Description
Narwhals mostly live in packs. Flocks are numbered 3-8 individuals, and sometimes there are up to twenty animals. They gather separately males and females with cubs. Narwhals constantly communicate using harsh sounds in the form of:
- moans;
- mooing;
- clicks;
- gurgling.
A distinctive feature of the narwhal is that the male has a long horn or tusk, about three meters long. The tusk horn is tough but flexible enough.
Narwhals live almost all year in the waters of the Arctic zone. They migrate in accordance with the movement of ice: in the winter they move to the southern zone, and in the summer season to the northern zone.
In summer, the narwhal lives in deep-water places, and hibernates in water spaces between ice. When the ice hole freezes, the male destroys the ice barrier, striking with his back or tusk.
Narwhals have a life expectancy of 35-56 years.
Appearance
The narwhal’s head is round, not very large, with a protruding frontal part. The muzzle and nose are rounded. The whale does not have a dorsal fin, but there is a formation in the form of a ridge on its back. Its length is 5 centimeters, and its height ranges from 60 to 90 centimeters.
Adults are painted dark gray or brown on top, and the lower part is lighter in color. The whole body is covered with a spotted pattern.
The animal has no lower teeth. The upper jaw has two teeth. The male’s left tooth passes through the lip and continues in the form of a straight tusk. The tusk has a spiral pattern.
The tusk can have a maximum length of three meters and weigh ten kilograms. There are times when the tusk grows out of the right tooth, but rarely.
Females generally do not have tusks, but sometimes they are found with tusks. The tusk is strong and flexible, and can bend in any direction without breaking. At the end, the tusk is polished, and the part closer to the head is entangled in algae. The inner cavity of the tusk-horn contains the endings of nerve cells and blood vessels.
The tusk is used by the narwhal for the following purposes:
- to attract females during the mating season;
- for measuring the temperature and frequency of electromagnetic waves;
- as a baton for extraction or protection.
Dimensions and weight
Male narwhals have a body length of about 470 centimeters, while females are 400 centimeters long. The average weight of males is 2.5 tons. Females are much smaller. Their weight is about 900-1000 kilograms.
One third of the bulk of the narwhal is fat, which serves as a reliable protection from the cold.
Where dwell
Narwhals are inhabitants of the harsh northern region. They live:
- in the arctic seas;
- in the Arctic Ocean;
- off the coast of Greenland;
- in the north of the Arctic Archipelago of Canada.
Several small groups were recorded in the northeastern part of the coast of Franz Josef Land and north of Wrangel Island.
What do they eat
Narwhals swim very well, but in the absence of a sufficient number of teeth, they feed on small organisms. They swallow them whole. The diet of the animal is:
- crustaceans;
- squid;
- cuttlefish;
- octopuses;
- flounder, cod, sea bass, stingray, halibut, gobies.
When hunting for prey, the narwhal holds its breath well and sinks to a depth of 400 meters.
Lifestyle
Narwhals usually form packs. They can contain 7-10 animals. But there are also single individuals.
In the winter cold, the narwhal is saved by immersion to a great depth, up to 1500 meters. Periodically, it rises above the water surface to swallow air, then sinks back into deep waters. The narwhal has to make up to 25 dives during the day. The animal dives vertically to achieve greater speed. Also, a thick layer of subcutaneous fat protects the animal from low temperatures.
In the spring-summer season, narwhals live at shallow depths of up to 300 meters. Pack ice is their food base. And in the fall, narwhals migrate to the southern regions, located at 65-70 degrees north latitude.
Reproduction
Mating in narwhals takes place from March to May. Between the males there is a showdown during the mating season. The victorious male creates a small harem near him and protects him from rivals. Copulation occurs with the abdomen in an upright state. Cubs are born from July to August next year.
Pregnancy in a female lasts about 15 months. The female reproduces offspring at intervals of two to three years. Usually one baby is born, but there have been rare cases of twins.
The whale is born forward with the tail part of the body. As soon as the baby is born, the female immediately pushes him out of the water. He gets the first breath of air.
In a newborn narwhal, the body has an average length of 1.6 meters with a mass of 80 kilograms. Subcutaneous fat is 2.5 centimeters thick. The baby’s skin is colored bluish gray. During the first days of life, the cub is constantly near the mother. Then the female can leave it briefly on the surface of the water to absorb a portion of food.
The duration of feeding the cub by the female is 20-24 months. After the end of the lactation period, the cub leaves the mother and joins the youth group.
Physical and sexual maturity in males occurs at the age of eight, and in females it is formed by the age of five.
Enemies
Narwhals are hunted by polar predators. They can be ruthlessly dealt with:
- killer whales;
- White bears;
- polar sharks;
- walruses.
Hiding from predators, the narwhal has to dive to great depths and hide under the ice. Also, the enemy of animals is man. He exterminated them for decades.
The killer whale is the enemy of narwhals
Population and conservation status
The number of narwhals, according to scientists, is approximately 50,000. It is difficult to give an exact figure, since they live in places that are inaccessible to people.
So far, there has been no decrease in the number of narwhal on a global scale, but the species is approaching the position of “vulnerable” and is assigned to the third rare category. Narwhal was included in the lists of the International Red Book.
The following reasons contribute to the extinction of the species:
- hunting for animals;
- predators;
- pollution of ocean waters.
Due to the fact that the number of the species began to decline, the narwhal fishing was limited: it is forbidden to hunt cubs and females, only the indigenous peoples of the north are allowed to hunt males.
Special production quotas have been introduced in Greenland and Canada. Interstate and regional treaties were adopted related to measures to preserve the ecological environment of the oceans.
Interesting Facts
- Male narwhals are three times more in weight than females.
- If a narwhal’s tusk breaks, it will not grow back.
- Narwhals do not survive in captivity, they die very quickly. In the wild, narwhals live for 50-56 years.
- “Corpse (dead) whale” – this is how “narwhal” is translated from Icelandic.
- If the narwhal is angry, then he is able to drown the boat. A high-strength tusk can pierce the sides of a small boat.
- When a narwhal needs air, it can break the ice either with its tusk or with its back. He easily breaks through the five-centimeter thickness of ice.
