If your only exposure to narwhals is the cute creature in Elf who drawls, “Bye, Buddy! Hope you find your dad,” we have good news for you: These “unicorns of the sea” are apparently just as fun in real life as they are in the movie.
New research from the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University offers rare footage of how the whales use their solitary spiraled tusks, which can grow up to 10 feet long. Their findings? As the study’s senior author, Greg O’Corry-Crowe, said in a statement, narwhals use their tusks for “quite unexpected” reasons — namely, foraging, exploration, and play.
To capture what the study calls the “first reported evidence of likely play” in narwhals, the researchers partnered with Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Inuit communities from Canada’s High Arctic. They used drones to gather footage of the mammals chasing Arctic char — but rather than trying to catch the fish for dinner, the narwhals appeared to be playing with them.
In one observation, a narwhal followed an Arctic char through a river, keeping the fish 30 centimeters in front of its tusk. When the fish changed direction, so did the narwhal. Two other whales later joined in on the fun, adjusting their speed to keep the char at the tip of their tusks, even if it meant slowing down — suggesting that they were in pursuit of play, not food.
“I have been studying narwhal for over a decade and have always marveled at their tusks,” said co-author Cortney Watt. “To observe them using their tusks for foraging and play is remarkable.”
The findings also revealed new insight into complex behaviors narwhals exhibit. While it was previously known that the sea animals use their tusks to compete in flashy mating displays, researchers now believe they may employ the physical feature to engage in social learning and instruction as well. In both of the behavior sequences caught on camera, “whales appeared to observe what other whales were doing, sometimes before taking decisive action themselves,” the authors write.
Another interesting takeaway: The animals displayed behaviors that could be chalked up to individual personality differences. For example, one narwhal was “bold” in its investigation of the char and was “the only whale to hit, push, and manipulate the fish and made several maneuvers to block the other whales from getting close to the fish.” But another was more timid and hesitant to get close to the fish, “even when opportunity arose.”
Beyond providing a rare peek into narwhals’ personalities and tusk activities, the footage may be important in showing us how these animals can survive climate change. The Arctic has been warming nearly four times faster than the rest of the globe — and while the whales are currently not endangered, the scientists say their social behaviors may aid them in adapting to future shifts.
“Drones provide a unique, real-time view of their behavior, helping 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,” said O’Corry-Crowe.
In short, we’re hopeful the unicorns of the sea will continue to thrive — and won’t always be quite so mysterious.
RELATED: Scientists Discover “Hidden World” of Marine Life Under Antarctic Ice Shelf
Share to:
