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(#12) Narwhal Skin Is Rich In Vitamin C
Narwhal is a delicacy for Inuits, but it's not just about the taste. Surprisingly, narwhal flesh is full of vitamins and minerals. An ounce of narwhal has as much vitamin C as an orange! That helps explain why Inuits fill freezers full of narwhal meat for the winter and even feed their dogs with it.
The meat is so highly prized, in fact, that demand usually exceeds supply.
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(#9) Narwhal Means 'Corpse Whale'
Cool band name alert: "Narwhal" comes from an old Norse word meaning "corpse whale." Why "corpse whale"? Narwhals have black and white mottled skin, so some think "corpse whale" refers to their resemblance to the bodies of drowned sailors. Others think it may refer to their habit of "logging," which means lying inactive (like a corpse) just below the surface of the water. -
(#1) Narwhal Tusk Size Is Related To Testicle Size
It's hard to make sense of narwhal tusks. Most male narwhals have them, but not all. A small portion of females have them, too, but they're smaller. Is there any connection between tusks and narwhal behavior? Not really; narwhals with and without tusks appear to eat the same, and tuskless narwhals survive just as well as those with them. So... what gives?
Scientists are unclear about a lot of this, but one thing is for sure: the bigger the tusk, the bigger the testicles. And tusks may play a role in which male narwhal females choose to mate with. That's a fact. -
(#18) Narwhal Tusks Can Bend One Foot In Any Direction
Not only are narwhal tusks super-strong, they're also insanely flexible. That's right: the spear-like narwhal tusk isn't rigid! An 8-foot tusk can actually bend 1 foot in any direction. Remember: this is technically a tooth we're talking about. -
(#14) Narwhals Spend A Lot Of Time Swimming Upside-Down
When scientists attached cameras to some narwhals in 2007, they were surprised to learn that narwhals love to swim upside-down, especially when they're near the bottom of the ocean. About 80 percent of their time spent at the bottom of the sea is spent upside-down. Why? Scientists speculate that it may be a defensive maneuver to protect their tusks or jaws from hitting the ocean floor.
The downward angle of their tusks makes sense when swimming under ice, but near the bottom, they need to flip for safer swimming.
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(#8) No One Has Ever Seen A Narwhal Eat
Scientists only know what narwhals eat (halibut, cod, shrimp, squid, and not much else) because they have examined the contents of their stomachs. Otherwise, they wouldn't know for sure because no one has ever seen a narwhal eat.
Narwhals eat, we assume, at great depths in total blackness, underneath great sheets of ice, so humans have never witnessed them feeding.
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A kind of whale in the world, with 2-3 meters long and sharp horns on its head which can easily pierce anything. They do not like to play on the surface of oceans like other whales, nor are they notorious for attacking humans like some whales. It is narwhals that were regarded as one of the most mysterious species in the Arctic Ocean. Their appearance is so incredible and becomes a unique creature in the deep sea.
The most striking feature of narwhals is the long teeth protruding from their heads, which not only be used as weapons but also as a symbol of family status. Here the random tool introduced 19 fascinating things about narwals that most people do not know.
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