Are Narwhals Carnivores? Where Do They Fit In The Food Chain?

Narwhals are a species of toothed whales.

These animals are medium-sized whales. They inhabit the deep Arctic oceans of the North Pole.

Narwals (scientific name: Monodon monoceros) are listed under the family of Monodontidae. The tusk of the male narwhals is very commonly observed, while that of the females is generally rare.

People often wonder whether narwhals can break the ice or not. The answer is true; yes, narwhals can break huge chunks of ice either when they are on the pursuit of prey or while hiding from a predator. The huge tusk comes in handy for breaking the sea ice.

If you find our article interesting and informative, then do check out: what do manatees eat, and do whales die of old age!

What is the narwhal?

Before we get down to conclude whether the narwhal is a carnivorous animal or not, it would be better to get acquainted with the animal first. Here we will understand what a narwhal is.

Narwhals are a species of medium-sized whales that belong to the family of Monodontidae. They have a large tooth that protrudes out from their mouth and looks like a horn, and thus they are often known as unicorns of the sea.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature or the IUCN Red List has listed the narwhal as a species of Least Concern, and as of 2020, these animals are not extinct. Since these whales are found in the deep Arctic waters near the ice caps, therefore the saline marine environment is the chief habitat of these animals.

The estimated lifespan of these whales is around 50 years out in the wild; however, in captivity, they can only survive to a maximum of four months. These are medium-sized whales that have an average length of 13-16 ft (4-5 m).

They have an average swimming speed of 4 mph (6.5 kph). Narwhals have an average weight of 1982-3524 lb (900-1600 kg).

Like all babies of whales, a baby narwhal is called a calf. People often wonder whether narwhals have two tusks or not.

The answer to this is true, yes, sometimes a few narwhals can have two tusks; however, in general, they have only one tusk. Female narwhals too have tusks, but the growth of the tusks in females is very low in comparison to the male narwhals.

The mating season of these animals is from March to May, and they are season breeders by nature. A gestation period of long 14 months takes place, after which one to two calves on average are born.

Do narwhals eat other animals?

Food is essential for the survival of any organism on our planet, and thus the same applies to narwhals as well. Here we will take a glance at the feeding behavior and the diet of the narwhals.

These whale species are found in the Arctic ocean, especially in the Arctic coastal waters, where they hunt for their food. These marine mammals, like other different species of whales, are carnivores, that is, they feed on the flesh of other animals.

The diet of these whales is very limited, and one of the striking features of narwhals is that they do not feed during the summer months. These animals mostly feed during the autumn and winters.

A major part of their diet consists of fish like the Western Greenland Halibut, squid, cod fish, shrimp, and other invertebrates. These whales use their long tusks to spear the prey and also use suction techniques to capture their prey.

Has anyone been killed by a narwhal?

Humans are often afraid of the gigantic size of whales and thus believe that whales are highly dangerous animals and can pose great harm. Here we will understand whether narwhals are dangerous to humans or not.

As of today, no reports have been found where a human has been attacked or have been killed by a narwhal.

These toothed whales are medium in size, and with their spiral tusk, they may appear threatening, but they are not. Travelers who have visited the Arctic Sea and the Arctic Pole have often documented their lovely and wonderful interaction with groups of narwhals and bottlenose dolphins.

Thus, it can be considered that these animals, despite being whales and carnivorous animals by nature, are polite and gentle and pose no harm to human beings.

However, there are killer whales, that is, orcas, that have killed humans in the past. Though no fatality has happened at sea, four humans perished from the infections caused by the bite of a killer whale that was held in captivity.

What is a narwhal's predator?

It is a basic rule of nature that an animal that consumes the other ultimately gets killed and eaten by a large animal. Let us take a look at the predators of narwhals.

Though narwhals are whales, they do not constitute the topmost part of the food pyramid. These animals that prey on squid, shrimp, fish, and other animals, in turn, become food for other deadly predators.

Apart from humans, there are a number of predators for narwhals both on land and sea. Their predators include killer whales, that is, orcas, polar bears, walruses, and Greenland sharks.

Bigger-sized animals on the sea like the shark and the whale attack on the narwhals as these predators often do in most parts of the world.

On land, the most dangerous amongst bears, the polar bears are a force to reckon with. The polar bears usually attack and preys on the young calves, and the same method is also used by the walruses.

Narwhals, too, on the other hand, use a number of methods to avoid predators. The unicorn of the sea travels in small groups, and when facing an attack, they travel fast in tighter formation.

Owing to their white color, they often camouflage themselves to the surrounding. They also hide from the eyes of the predator by positioning themselves underneath the sea ice.

Humans hunt these animals for a wide number of reasons. Narwhal tusks are often sold at a high price and thus make themselves soft targets for a poacher.

A narwhal's tusk is often sold at a rate of around $2,765-12,500 USD. Apart from hunting them for price and glory, numerous human activities like climate change, destruction of habitat have proven to be a major cause for the depletion of the unicorn of the sea.

Are narwhals extinct?

Every animal that exists on our planet and has been identified to date has its own respective conservation status. The same applies to the narwhals too. Here we will take a look at their conservation status and the obstacles that they face in their lives.

Narwhals have been listed as a species of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature or the IUCN Red List. The population trend of this species of whale is currently unknown as not much in detail is known about these whales.

Though they are classified as Least Concern, these animals face a great deal of danger. Human activities in the form of climate change, habitat destruction are hugely responsible for the gradual decline of these whales.

The melting of the sea ice brought about by climate change owing to global warming and pollution is a serious worry. Proper conservative steps should be implemented to protect and conserve narwhals.

Why are narwhals important?

Every organism on our planet plays a vital role in the ecosystem. The effect that an organism has on the ecosystem directly affects the natural surroundings either in a positive or a negative way. Here we will observe the impact of narwhals in our ecosystem.

Narwhals are important for Inuits that reside in Greenland and Canada. They consume the flesh and use the oil for lighting and heating purposes.

The tusk of the narwhal is often used as harpoons that are useful in capturing fish. The flesh of narwhals often serves as a nutritious food for both humans and alpine dogs. A wide number of parasites are found in the body of narwals that has a direct symbiotic relationship with these whales for their safe existence.

If the narwhals go extinct, then the entire Arctic ecosystem would be disrupted. As these animals consumed numerous fishes and squid, they maintained a balance of the population of these tiny animals.

Moreover, if they perish, then polar bears would probably starve to extinct as one of their chief diet sources gets removed. In general, narwhals play a vital role in the proper establishment of their environment.

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