Fact of the Day: Narwhal - Oceana USA
Home / Blog / Fact of the Day: Narwhal

July 20, 2010

Fact of the Day: Narwhal

BY: MollyH

Responsible Fishing

You may recognize this funny looking marine mammal as the large, talking cartoon whale from Will Ferrell’s “Elf” but the narwhal (or “corpse whale” in Old Norse) actually is a very real toothed whale that lives in cold, Arctic waters. 

Only male narwhals have the characteristic long tusk, which is actually a super long tooth that can grow up to 10 feet. It is unknown exactly what purpose this tooth serves but scientists do know that it is not used for hunting. 

Check out more about these ‘unicorns of the sea’ and other crazy creatures!

MOST RECENT

Up Next:

FEATURED CAMPAIGN

Plastic Pollution

Oceana campaigns to stop plastic pollution at the source — by working to pass local, state, and national policies that reduce the production and use of unnecessary single-use plastic and move toward refill and reuse systems.

Learn More

CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS

Ending the Shark Fin Trade

Protecting Ocean Habitats

Responsible Fishing

View All

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT WITH A DONATION

We have already protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea life - but there is still more to be done.

Donate Here

Become a Wavemaker

Sign up today to get weekly updates and action alerts from Oceana.

Gift Center
Employment Opportunities
Contact
Financials
Privacy Policy

REGIONAL SITES :

International
Europe
Chile
Canada
Belize
Philippines
Brazil
Peru
Mexico

FIND OCEANA

TWEET TO SHARE OUR MESSAGE

Twitter