Narwhals may be using their tusks to play, new study finds
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Scientists say they have the first recorded video evidence of narwhals using tusks not only to strike and manipulate fish during feeding but also engage in what appears to be playful behavior, according to the latest research.
The narwhal, often referred to as the “unicorn of the sea” in a nod to its trademark tusk, has long remained an enigma. Scientists have observed few interactions of narwhals in their natural habitat, creating speculation about the purpose of the species’ distinctive spiraling tusk.
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Found predominantly in males, the tusk grows up to 10 feet (3 meters) long — and previous research has suggested it serves as a competitive display to secure mates. But now, with the help of drones, research conducted in the Canadian High Arctic has uncovered that a narwhal may use its tusk for more than just courtship.
In total, the researchers newly identified and described 17 distinct behaviors of narwhals involving prey. The findings revealed a wide range of interactions and dynamics between narwhals and fish as well as the extraordinary agility, precision and speed of their tusks to track moving targets, according to the study published February 27 in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.
“Seeing that these animals are not actually hunting the fish but exploring, manipulating and interacting with it was really a game changer,” said lead author Dr. Gregory O’Corry-Crowe, a research professor in the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University.
Since so little is understood about this whale species, researchers like O’Corry-Crowe and his colleagues are working diligently to conduct studies to document narwhals’ unknown behaviors to better understand how these animals adapt in a rapidly shifting habitat as oceans warm and sea ice melts.
Narwhal exploratory behavior
The study team captured the groundbreaking footage using drones in Creswell Bay, on the eastern side of Somerset Island in Canada’s Nunavut territory, during the summer of 2022.
As the researchers analyzed the footage, they noticed subtle nuances in the narwhals’ behavior. Footage even captured one instance of a narwhal interacting with a fish by repeatedly nudging it with its tusk — which is actually a giant tooth — without attempting to eat it.
When researchers observed a lack of aggression in some interactions between narwhals and fish, they realized these scenarios were more similar to a cat-and-mouse game, in which the animals were chasing or “playing” rather than hunting, O’Corry-Crowe said.