Narwhal
(Monodon monoceros)
Background information:
-The narwhal is one of the rarest whales in the world.
-The tusk on a narwhal is actually a tooth that males have on the upper jaw.
-The current total world population for narwhals is about 45,000-50,000
-Narwhals are mostly found in the Atlantic and Russian waters of the Arctic.
-They eat squid, fish and shrimp.
-They actually are very slow creatures but whenever trouble comes around they are able to swim at remarkable speeds.
-When they migrate, in the summer they tend to stay near the shore and in the winter they live far out in the ocean under the ice.
-The females usually give birth to 1 offspring every 3 years or so.
-The tusk on a narwhal is actually a tooth that males have on the upper jaw.
-The current total world population for narwhals is about 45,000-50,000
-Narwhals are mostly found in the Atlantic and Russian waters of the Arctic.
-They eat squid, fish and shrimp.
-They actually are very slow creatures but whenever trouble comes around they are able to swim at remarkable speeds.
-When they migrate, in the summer they tend to stay near the shore and in the winter they live far out in the ocean under the ice.
-The females usually give birth to 1 offspring every 3 years or so.
Threats of Extinction:
-Oil and gas development
-Climate change
-Increased development means more shipping vessels, creating more opportunities for collisions and more underwater noise that can interfere with communication among the whales.
-Native Inuit people are legally allowed to hunt this whale.
-Climate change
-Increased development means more shipping vessels, creating more opportunities for collisions and more underwater noise that can interfere with communication among the whales.
-Native Inuit people are legally allowed to hunt this whale.
Solutions:
-Since Inuits are the only people able to hunt Narwhals, there is a law that states that each person is limited to 5 Narwhals a year.
-There is a special organization called the NPA (Narwhal Protection Agency) dedicated in of course the protection and prevention of extinction of the Narwhal.
-Fisheries and Oceans Canada is tracking several herds of narwhal in order to see where they have been going so they know where the narwhals have been dying the most at.
-There is a special organization called the NPA (Narwhal Protection Agency) dedicated in of course the protection and prevention of extinction of the Narwhal.
-Fisheries and Oceans Canada is tracking several herds of narwhal in order to see where they have been going so they know where the narwhals have been dying the most at.