Some Fascinating Facts About The Tusk Whale: Narwhal, the Unicorn of the Sea

One of the most fascinating creatures in the sea is tusk whale. I once saw its strange look on national geographic channel couple time ago. The characteristics of tusk whale dominantly attracted the scientist to explore deeper about its facts. If I can say, there are few creature I see so fascinating as the narwhal (tusk whale). It is mostly called as the unicorn of the sea, their look is strange with long tusks protruding from their heads. The population members more than 80.000 can weigh up to 4.200 pounds and grow as long as 17 feet in length. The tusk is commonly found on males that is actually an enlarge tooth with sensory capability and more than 10 million nerve ending inside. This arctic whale is characterized as single spiraled tusk that can extend to six to nine feet, emerging from the upper jaw and through the lips of adult males. The males tusks are commonly longer and they have a wide variation in ridge morphology while the female tusks are shorter, straighter, have more regularly defined morphology and they do not collect as much proteinacious or algae on the surface, thus appearing whiter. Here are some facts of the tusk whale (narwhal), that we probably don't know.

Can we see, the tusk on the center of its head. Unlike, the rhino whose tusk separated with its mouth, and it has nothing to do with tooth. However, this sea animal tusk is actually an exaggerated front left tooth that protrodus from the upper lips. In males, the more prominent tooth grows into a swordlike, a spiral tusk up to 8.8 feet. It is not clear what is the tusk’s purpose, but some people believe, it is used to attract the female or to battle rival suitors and it is prominent in mating ritual. Experts believe that this tusk plays a role in competition for access to females, similar to the antlers of a deer or the mane of a lion, and/or plays a sensory role, allowing the animal to sense subtle changes in temperature, salinity or pressure.Whatever it used, the tusk has its own unique and become the target of sea animal hunter. Another function of the tusk that is identified by scientist is actually tooth. The right front tooth is small, and usually remain in the mouth.Unlike other toothed whales the narwhal's only teeth are the tusk that can grow. Contrary to common belief, narwhals do not spear fish with their tusks, but instead suck prey into their mouth and then swallow it whole. Most scientist call this animal as Monodon monoceros or one-tooth one-horn.

In fact, not all of them have tusk. Mostly, these animal that tusk appear in both male and famale are only 15 percent of them have tusks. Their tusk was once passed off for exorbitant sums as unicorn horn. It is a mainly male feature, but occasionally female narhwal have one. No wonder, there are also a few “double tuskers”, males that have two tusks rather one, for unknown reason

In spite of its skin is not orange, it does not mean it has not vitamin that exist in its skin. Apparently, there is rougly as much vitamin C in one once of Narhwal’s skin as there is in one ounce of oranges. Its skin a primary source of vitamins for the Inuit people of the Arthic. The narhwal use this vitamin in the same ways that we mostly do. It is particularly required a properly bind collagen fibrils together. The collagen is the main structural protein used in animal bodies, and is a major component of skin. Like any other animal, a whale must constantly make new collagen fibers to replace those that break or wear out. Consequently, the narwhal needs lots of vitamin C in its skin to use in binding the new collagen fibrils together. According to the BBC “without the narwhal it is doubtful whether the Inuit would have survived in some parts of the Arctic.”

Like any toothed whales, narhwal also use sound to navigate and hunt for food. The sound may be created via air betweeen chamber near the blow-hole and reflected off the sloping front of the skull. The researchers found that with the click of sound, like a flashlight switching on and off, the narwhals scanned their underwater world to receive narrow snapshots and reconstructed them into a larger acoustic picture — one with more resolution than any other animal on the planet, with the possible exception of beluga whales. That could be a problem for narwhals. Being whales, they communicate using sound: specifically, buzzy clicks, squeaks like a creaking door and strange whistles. They also use sonar to navigate. It is possible that all the extra noise will force them out of important habitats. Narwhals are gregarious, sometimes congregating in herds of more than 1000 animals which are so noisy they can be heard several kilometres away.

It has been recorded that Narwal make some of the deepest dives when in their wintering water. They can dive at least to at least 800 metres (2,620 feet) over 15 times per day, with many dives reaching 1,500 metres (4,920 feet). Dives to these depths last around 25 minutes, including the time spent at the bottom and the transit down and back from the surface. They are well adapted for life in frigid water, with blubber accounting for up to 35% of their body weight for insulation.

Narhwals are included as the toothed whale in the family monodontidae, the scientists call this species as one-tooth one-horn and they share with just one other species-the beluga whale. Some scientist said that the male with their tusks or use them to poke their way through ice floes or even to skull. If the tusk damaged, the narwhal can lead to sever infections and death. The tusk probably serve as secondary sexual characteristic for males, that indicates the males are older and more mature to have a mate. The tusk can also enlarge tooth with sensory capability and more than 10 million nerve ending inside. This arctic whale is characterized as single spiraled tusk that can extend to six to nine feet, emerging from the upper jaw and through the lips of adult males.