Distribution 



Narwhals are found in the high arctic seas of the western 

 North Atlantic, primarily in Lancaster Sound and its fringes. 

 It has been noted that they are found in isolated pockets 

 within that ran^e and are not, like the beluga, widely 

 distributed. 



Narwhals make annual migrations in response to the 

 movement of the ice. During the fall as the ice begins to 

 form, the whales migrate to the south, sometimes reach- 

 ing the Labrador coast. In the spring they return to the 

 pack ice. 



May Be Confused With 



Narwhals are so different in coloration from the only 

 medium-sized cetacean which shares its range and 



habitat— the beluga— that the two are highly unlikely to be 

 confused. Belugas are usually all white or light slate gray in 

 color, while narwhals are very much darker, ranging from 

 bluish gray to brownish, and are often covered with light 

 leopardlike spots. Furthermore, the body of the beluga is 

 more robust. 



Further, swimming narwhals frequently buck their heads 

 up to breathe, a behavior which makes the tusk of adult males 

 visible and permits positive identification. 



Stranded Specimens 



Stranded narwhals should be easily identifiable by the 

 distinctive coloration and the unique characteristics of the 

 teeth. In adults, one or two of the teeth may develop into the 

 long, left-hand spiraling tusk, shown in Figures 112 and 114. 

 Immature animals have no teeth which are emerged. 



Figure 113. — A juvenOe narwhal in a tank at New York Aquarium. Though newborn animals are dark bluish 

 gray on the back, fading to white on the belly, note that the mottled gray coloration characteristic of adults is 

 well developed even in relatively young animals. The white region on the head is lanolin cream, applied to 

 protect the animal's skin during transport. (Photo by H. E. Wmn.) 



i&B*^- 



Figure 1 14. — A stranded male narwhal. The long unicorn tusk is the spiral extension of one of the two teeth, though the other may be exposed above the 

 gimis in males and may even develop into a second long tusk; both teeth of females are normally buried in the gums and rarely emerge. Note the highly 

 distinctive dorsal ridge, near the midpoint of the back, photos by D. Luaby, courtesy of the Sea Library.) 



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