Drone footage has finally uncovered what narwhals, an iconic whale of remote Arctic waters, use their mysterious tusks for.
Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) are Arctic whales best known for their long, spiral tusks, which are essentially elongated teeth that can grow up to 10 feet.
While researchers have long suspected the narwhal’s tusk plays a role in mate selection, its full function has remained a mystery. Studying narwhals in the wild is notoriously difficult due to their remote habitat and elusive nature. As a result, the species’ social interactions, reproductive habits, and adaptability to environmental changes were largely unknown.
However, a recent study using drone footage has finally shed light on the species and its unicorn-like tusk. Researchers at Florida Atlantic University and Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans collaborated with Inuit communities in Nunavut in Canada’s High Arctic to film the region’s narwhals using drones armed with video cameras.
The footage captured 17 distinct behaviors, some never documented before, revealing how these whales interact with their environment.
One of the most significant discoveries was how narwhals use their tusks to hunt. The researchers found the first evidence of narwhals using their tusks to manipulate Arctic char fish and strike them.
They use their tusks to hit the fish with such force that the fish are subsequently stunned and potentially, killed. Scientists also observed narwhals using their tusks to explore their surroundings, forage for food, and even play.
“Narwhals are known for their ‘tusking’ behavior, where two or more of them simultaneously raise their tusks almost vertically out of the water, crossing them in what may be a ritualistic behavior to assess a potential opponent’s qualities or to display those qualities to potential mates,” Greg O’Corry-Crowe, Ph.D., senior author, a research professor at FAU Harbor Branch and a National Geographic Explorer, says in a news release.
“But now we know that narwhal tusks have other uses, some quite unexpected, including foraging, exploration, and play.”
The footage suggests that narwhals may also use their tusks to detect changes in water temperature and salinity, which could help them navigate icy waters and aid their hunting efforts.
According to IFL Science, the study suggests that narwhals may even use the tusks for play, which involves investigating and interacting with objects in their environment without a functional goal. In one surprising moment, researchers observed three narwhals interacting with a fish without eating it — nudging, pushing, and examining it as if out of curiosity rather than hunger. This hints that individual narwhals may use their tusks differently, possibly showing personality differences between the species.
“I have been studying narwhal for over a decade and have always marveled at their tusks,” Cortney Watt, Ph.D., co-author and research scientist and team lead at Fisheries and Oceans, Canada, says.
“To observe them using their tusks for foraging and play is remarkable. This unique study where we set up a remote field camp and spent time filming narwhal with drones is yielding many interesting insights and is providing a bird’s eye view of their behavior that we have never seen before.”
The full study is published in Frontiers in Marine Science.
Image credits: Header photo by O’Corry-Crowe, FAU/Watt, DFO.