Narwhals, ‘unicorns of the sea,' might use their tusks for play
Among the more bizarre aesthetic features found in the animal kingdom is the narwhal's tusk. Protruding up to 10 feet from the whale's head, the spiral of ivory has earned these creatures the nickname 'unicorn of the sea.' But what exactly narwhals do with these tusks is still being studied, and scientists say they may have observed a previously undocumented use for them: play.
Researchers used drones to film narwhals in northern Canada's Nunavut territory during the summer of 2022 and published their findings last month in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science. The footage was taken as part of a years-long, ongoing project observing how Arctic whales are behaving in the face of threats such as climate change and increased shipping, in collaboration with Indigenous communities.
In one instance, researchers captured the whales chasing a fish with their tusks. The narwhals mirrored and tracked the fish's movements, speeding up and slowing down to keep pace with it. But they did not try to catch it, and they seemed to eventually allow the fish to swim away.
The footage 'may be the first recorded evidence of play, specifically exploratory-object play, in narwhals,' the researchers wrote.
Greg O'Corry-Crowe, a co-author of the study and biologist at Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, said in an interview that the 'symphony' between the narwhals and the fish appeared to be 'like a cat-and-mouse game,' a behavior the scientists were not expecting to find.
'Typically in the natural world, we see play as quite rare in adult animals because they're busy, you know, getting on with life and maximizing their reproductive success and survival,' O'Corry-Crowe said.
The tusk — actually a very long tooth — is seen primarily in male narwhals and appears rarely in females.
There have been a variety of proposed purposes for the tusk. It's primary function is thought to be as a secondary sexual characteristic, used by males to compete for dominance and possibly mates. Groups of two or more narwhals have been seen crossing their tusks in what could be a way of assessing a potential opponent, and scarring on males suggests they could be used as a weapon. Narwhals have been observed using their tusks to hit fish while hunting them. Scientists have also suggested that the tusks, which are replete with nerves, may have a sensory purpose, such as detecting the salinity and temperature of water.
Whale and Dolphin Conservation spokesperson Danny Groves, who was not involved in the Frontiers study, said in an email that it's 'not uncommon for whales and dolphins to use tools or to engage in activities just for fun.'
Narwhals are 'highly social, large-brained mammals' he said, calling the findings 'a sign of high intelligence' in the unicorns of the sea.
Kristin Laidre, senior principal scientist at the University of Washington's Polar Science Center, who was also not involved in the study, said she 'would not rule out the possibility that females also chase or play with fish, even in the absence of a tusk.'
O'Corry-Crowe, the study co-author, said that relatively new technologies such as airborne and underwater cameras are opening up new possibilities for scientists to observe animals and that the footage is a reminder of how much is left to learn about the natural environment.
'People like to hear stories that are from the remote reaches of our world,' he said. '… When somebody comes back and says, 'We've seen things we've never seen before,' it gives you hope that there are more mysteries, there's more beauty, and that there's excitement in the discovery of the world.'
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