Narwhal

A toothed whale of the Arctic, closely related to the beluga. Males have a spiralled tusk 1.5–3 m long, an overgrown left canine tooth.

Quick answers

What is it?Mammal

Carnivore?Yes

Dangerous?No

Domesticated?No

Awake when?Day & night

Hibernates?No

Kept as a pet?No

Do people eat it?In places

The Inuit have hunted narwhals for meat and ivory for thousands of years, and still do under regulation.

At a glance

Found inArctic, Oceans

HabitatPolar, Open ocean

ColoursGrey, White

SizeHuge

Length4–5 m

Weight900–1,600 kg

LegsNone

Covered inSkin

Lives inpods

Lives for50 years

Can swim

In the wild

Where it lives

Arctic waters.

Did you know

The tusk is an overgrown left tooth, packed with millions of nerve endings.

Narwhals spend long periods at great depths.

Often confused with

• 🐾Beluga

  Narwhals and belugas are close relatives, similarly built and known to interbreed; only the narwhal has a tusk.

  Compare side by side

On these lists

Arctic animalsOpen-ocean animalsPolar animalsMammalsAnimals people eat

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Narwhal
2. Animal Diversity Web: Monodon monoceros

Last reviewed 30 September 2026