7 Narwhal Facts for Kids

Narwhals are sometimes called Narwhale. The Narwhal is a medium sized porpoise that is part of the toothed whale sub species. It is a marine animal that is nicknamed the unicorn of the sea. The Narwhal has only two teeth and one of the male’s two teeth grows into a tusk or horn of sorts.

1. At full size they look like very large swordfish. The spiral shaped tusks can grow up to an amazing 8 feet in length. This ivory tusk grows right through the Narwhals upper lip and marine biologists are uncertain as to this adaptation has evolved. They do not seem to use the tusk for anything. In rare cases a female may also grow a tusk but it is very unusual.

2. These legendary creatures of the sea live in the cold waters of the Arctic, Canada and Greenland. They are pale pink in color as adults and are closely related to the bottle nose dolphin, orca and harbor porpoises. Like most porpoises they travel in pods that can range in size from 2 to 10 although sightings have been reported of pods that numbered in the thousands.

3. They swim and feed together.

The Young

4. Narwhals give birth to live babies like all other mammals. The babies are born weighing in at about 200 pounds. They stay with their pod or family unit for most of their life. Narwhals only have one baby at a time although there have been the rare case of twins being born. When Narwhals are born they are born black with some mottled spots of white. Scientists believe that this color is most suitable for protection from prey. It helps them to blend easier into the murky cold waters.

5. The calves swim along with mom and nurse until they are about 6 months old than they are weened fully and continue to live with the pod but mom is no longer responsible for their nutrition. At adult size a Narwhal can weigh up to 3500 lbs and range in length from 10-15 feet.

What Do They Eat?

6. Narwhal feed on a diet of krill, shrimp and other small marine life. They feed continuously throughout the day to maintain their large size. They also eat fish. They have been known to really go all out when they are hunting for food and have been reportedly known to dive up to 5000 feet. They can dive deeper than any other marine mammal.

7. The Narwhals natural predators include the walrus and man.