Narwhals

Narwhals [Monodon monoceros] could go extinct as soon as most of the Arctic ice has melted. During the summer, narwhals live along the coasts of Canada, Greenland, and Russia. During the winter, they shelter inside the cracks and crevices of Arctic ice packs. The ice packs protect narwhals from predatory Orca whales [Orcinus orca]. A scarcity or absence of ice packs means greater numbers of narwhals being killed by orca whales. At the same time, narwhals are vulnerable to the effects of global warming on ocean life. Changed ocean temperatures means changed living conditions and therefore changed ocean food chains. Narwhals are picky eaters, and follow specialized diets. Additionally, they migrate between summer and winter feeding grounds. Travel in the open sea, and specific dietary and habitat requirements therefore put narwhals in the 'near threatened' status of survival.

6 feet(some have grown larger).
100 feet because it is the magical unicorn of the seas

Narwhals are usually born with two teeth, or tusks, but in some cases, one tusk may remain while the other regresses. This can happen due to genetics, hormones, or environmental factors during development. The function of the tusk is still not fully understood, but it may play a role in mating rituals, communication, and navigation.

Answer #1 by Poke bro With their tail. Answer #2 by Ginezumi A narwhal [Monodon monoceros] swims with the upturned tips of its flippers, its tusk and head, and its tail. The flipper tips and the tail help the narwhal steer. The flipper tips also help the narwhal stop. The tusk and head help the narwhal to move by echolocation. The tusk detects differences in water temperature, salinity and pressure that may affect swimming conditions. The mouth emits sounds that come back as sound waves. The sound waves are processed by the head, and possibly also by the tusks, to swim around upcoming obstacles in the sea.

Well, they both possess a twirly horn, however, the narwhal's horn is actually simply one of two teeth, (usually protruding from the lower left jaw), and the unicorn's horn is a true horn protruding from its otherwise unremarkable forehead. Genetically... well... unicorns do not exist. I'm sorry.

A narwhal's tusk, which is actually a long, spiral-shaped tooth, can grow to be about 9 feet (2.7 meters) long.

A narwhal makes a range of sounds. The sounds include clicks, squeals, trills, and whistles. Scientists still are sorting the possible reasons for the wide array of sounds. But one suggestion is the use of sound for communication, and for the echolocation purposes of hunting and navigation.

Narwhals are deep-diving Arctic whales that require vast ocean spaces, constantly cold temperatures, and specialized diets in their natural habitat. These complex requirements are difficult, if not impossible, to replicate in captivity, leading to stress, health issues, and ultimately a high mortality rate for narwhals in captivity. Additionally, the implications of capturing and confining these animals can also raise ethical concerns.

Monodon Monoceros. It comes from Greek, meaning "One-tooth, one-horn" or "One-toothed unicorn."

The narwhal evolved without a dorsal fin as a way to adapt to its environment in the Arctic Ocean. The lack of a dorsal fin helps narwhals navigate through icy waters and under ice sheets more easily, as a fin could hinder their ability to swim smoothly and maneuver in tight spaces.

The main causes for population decline are predation, pollution, maritime transportation, and climate change. The main narwhal predators are hunters, killer whales [Orcinus orca], and polar bears [Ursus maritimus]. The pollution of the air and of the waters is worldwide in its scale and its impact. Maritime transportation contributes to that pollution, and also may affect narwhal migration routes. Climate change affects the life cycle of the narwhal and of narwhal predators and prey. The narwhal population has specific habitat and dietary needs. Any impact on either impacts the narwhal population.

Yes, narwhals are known to inhabit the Arctic waters, particularly the Arctic regions of Canada, Greenland, Russia, and Norway. They are well adapted to the extreme cold temperatures and icy conditions of the Arctic environment.

I really doubt that humans have any positive impacts on the lives of Narwhals. We pollute their water, have hunted them fiercely for centuries, capture fish (their food) by the ton, and occasionally futilely attempt to capture one. (Narwhals always die in captivity, no matter how much space they are given). Countless other examples can be found if one makes a little extra research. So even if there is a positive impact, we probably don't know it since we have so little knowledge about these magnificent creatures, and in any case it is well overshadowed by the negative impacts.

Specific information is lacking. But the frequency of feeding definitely depends upon the season. In the summer, narwhals feed in shallower waters. They typically prey on fishes that dwell in the uppermost, sunlit zone of the ocean. They dive less deeply. There's enough dissolved oxygen in the water that they can stay down for longer periods of time. In fact, they're known to stay down for as long as almost a half hour at a time. In the winter, narwhals feed in deeper waters. They typically prey on fishes that dwell in the middle, dimly lit zone of the ocean. They dive much deeper than in summer. There's much, much less dissolved oxygen in the middle zone of cold temperatures and high pressure. So narwhals may dive more than 15 times a day for their food.

One way that narwhals adapt to their environment is their coloring. Their grey mottling often is likened to the look of a drowned sailor's skin. But it serves the purpose of camouflaging the narwhal's presence in the Arctic waters of the polar latitudes. There, the dappled, filtered play of light gives a moving, light-and-shadow effect to the waters. Narwhal coloring blends right in. Another way is their migration. During the summer, they live in the shallower waters, where they only have to dive 30-300 meters/90-900 feet downwards to find their prey and therefore their meals. During the winter, for example, they move to the deeper waters under the pack ice off Baffin Bay and Davis Strait. There, an additional adaptation is typically deep diving 800 meters/2,400 feet downwards for finding prey and getting fed.

Yes, it's possible that narwhals indeed kill each other. Male narwhals have been found, dead and alive, with scars and wounds to the heads and tusks. Males engage in what tends to be called playful tusking. But perhaps that gets carried away at times.

Creating a 'Narwhals' category could be interesting as these unique creatures have a distinct place in popular culture. It would cater to those who have a specific interest in narwhals and provide a platform for sharing knowledge and content related to them.

One behavioral adaptation of the narwhal is migration. The narwhal undergoes summer and winter migrations. In the summer, the narwhal is found in shallower waters. That's the season when the food supply is abundant, and easy to catch, in shallower waters. In the winter, the narwhal is found in deeper waters. That's the season when food is scarce in shallower waters, and more abundant in deeper waters. Another behavioral adaptation is deep diving. There's no need for narwhals to perform the deep dives in shallower waters. But in deeper waters, the narwhal performs some of the deepest, known mammalian dives on record. So, depending on the season, the narwhal has a diving range of 30-300 meters/90-900 feet down in summer, and 800-1,500 meters/2,400-4,500 feet down in winter.

Narwhals sleep by shutting half of their body down at a time. They close one eye and shut down the associated side of the brain. Later, they close the other eye and shut down the other associated side of the brain. They do so when they safely are hidden away in icy crevices from predatory humans [Homo sapiens sapiens], killer whales [Orcinus orca], and polar bears [Ursus maritimus]. They also do so when they safely are grouped into pods of 10-100.

Answer #1 Narwhals [Monodon monoceros] are members of the Monodontidae or one toothed family of whales. They share that membership only with beluga whales [Delphinapterusleucas]. Fossils of modern members of that family date back 9-10 million years, in the eastern North Pacific. Answer #2 Since Day 5 of Creation.

The evolutionary purpose of a narwhal is the niche that it holds within its particular food chain. Its food chain is that of Arctic waters. Its niche within that chain is the role of predator. The predator-prey interaction, in nature and among wildlife, is intended to keep populations and their environments in balance. The narwhal niche is high up on the food chain, because it basically fears only hunters. In fact, it's prey to humans, killer whales [Orcinus orca], and polar bears [Ursus maritimus].

Yes, the narwhal uses echolocation. It communicates and navigates by an array of sounds. The sound waves travel until they bounce off obstacles. The returning sound waves then are processed by the narwhal's own head and possibly own tusk. The narwhal then knows what obstacles are in and near its path and what evasive action to engage in.

Male narwhals can reach a length of 5 meters and weigh up to 1800 kg. This meets oxygen demands for more than 20 minutes underwater at swim speeds of 1 m/s.
125 mph

Narwhals can swim at speeds of up to 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h). They are agile swimmers that use their long tusks to break through ice in the Arctic waters where they live.