Narwhals play and forage using their amazing tusks

https://www.youtube.com/View?v=2iyGa30QpDE
This video shows narwhals in the Canadian High Arctic. It is a compilation of Many drone footage clips. Some of the clips show Arctic char (shown in yellow circles for clarity) as the narwhals pursue them. In addition, the clips also show glaucous gulls stealing some of the fish from the whales. Video via Greg O’Corry-Crowe/ Florida Atlantic University/Watt/ DFO.

• Narwhals use their tusks for various purposes, including foraging, exploration and Shift.
• Drone footage has revealed that narwhals use their tusks with Swiftness to target prey like Arctic char and engage in social behaviors.
• Drones provide researchers with valuable insights into narwhal behavior, offering a non-invasive way to study them.

New drone footage of narwhals reveal more about their lives

Narwhals, whales with a long tusk, seem like otherworldly creatures. Indeed, we don’t know much about these elusive whales because they live in remote parts of the Arctic, making them Tough to observe. As a result, there’s been much debate about how they use their tusks. On February 28, 2025, a Club of researchers said they’ve used drones to observe them from above, revealing new details about narwhal behavior. For instance, they learned narwhals use their tusks to go after prey like Arctic char and engage in Shift-like behavior.

The researchers published their study in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Marine Science on February 27, 2025.

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Narwhals are the only whales with tusks

Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) are known as unicorns of the sea. They live in the icy Arctic waters of Canada, Greenland and Russia. These whales are primarily fish-eaters, but they also consume cuttlefish, shrimp and squid. In addition, they’re one of the deepest divers among whales, able to reach depths of 7,780 feet (2,370 meters).

The narwhal tusk is really an elongated spiral-shaped tooth that projects out of the left side of the whale’s upper jaw. It’s mostly males that have tusks that can grow up to 10 feet (3 meters) long. However, the researchers note in their paper that some females also grow tusks. That tusk length is pretty impressive considering the length of a narwhal body’s tops out at around 18 feet (5 meters).

Tusks grow continuously throughout a narwhal’s life. They are hollow and can weigh as much as 16 pounds (about 7 kilograms). And also, tusks have a Plenty of nerves running through them. So it also acts as an environmental sensor, detecting water temperature and salinity.

What the scientists saw in the drone footage

Scientists have long wondered how narwhals use their tusks. Greg O’Corry-Crowe is part of the research Club that used drones to observe narwhals in Canada’s High Arctic during the summer of 2022. O’Corry-Crowe said:

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 Adversary’s qualities or to display those qualities to potential mates. But now, we know that narwhal tusks have other uses, some quite unexpected, including foraging, exploration and Shift.

According to the researchers, drone footage revealed that narwhals wielded their tusks with Excellent Swiftness, accuracy and Pace. Indeed, they often used their tusks to investigate and target their prey, such as Arctic char. The researchers saw some using their tusks to stun or kill fish. Additionally, scientists also observed that opportunistic glaucous gulls (Larus hyperboreus) sometimes stole fish near the ocean surface that the narwhals were chasing.

O’Corry-Crowe remarked:

Our observations provide clear evidence of narwhals chasing fish and using their tusks to interact directly with the fish and to influence the fish’s behavior. Some of the interactions we saw appeared competitive in nature with one whale blocking or trying to Deflect another whale’s access to the same target fish, while others may have been more subtle, possibly communicative and even affiliative. None appeared overtly aggressive.

Also, the researchers observed narwhals use their tusks to engage in Shift-like behavior, such as exploring objects like fish. Plus, some of the observed behaviors suggest social learning (learning from other narwhals), and Possibly even distinct personality traits in individuals.

Using drones to study narwhals

Co-author Cortney Watt of Fisheries and Oceans Canada commented:

I have been studying narwhals for over a decade and have always marveled at their tusks. To observe them using their tusks for foraging and Shift is remarkable. This unique study where we set up a remote Ground camp and spent time filming them 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 whales appeared to be learning from Every other. In fact, this trait could Assist them adapt to changes in the Arctic environment due to climate change. O’Corry-Crow added:

To understand how narwhals are being affected by and adapting to the changing Arctic, Ground studies using innovative, non-invasive tools like drones are essential to observe them in their natural environment without disturbing them. Drones provide a unique, real-time view of their behavior, Aiding scientists gather crucial data on how narwhals are responding to shifts in ice patterns, prey availability and other environmental changes. Such studies are key to understanding the impact of global warming on these elusive animals.

Bottom line: Scientists observing narwhals with drones in the Arctic Discovered these whales use their tusks to go after fish and engage in Shift-like behavior.

Source: Use of tusks by narwhals, Monodon monoceros, in foraging, exploratory, and Shift behavior

Via Florida Atlantic University

Read more: Meet the narwhal, ‘unicorn of the sea’