Narwhals Filmed Using Tusks to Stun Fish

Posted on May 13, 2017

Narwhal hunting with its tusk

Narwhals are known for the long tusks that protrude from their heads. These tusks are actually a type of canine tooth that can reach up to nine feet in length. Until now it was a mystery to scientists as to how narwhals used their tusks.

The drone video footage captured by Adam Ravetch for WWF in Canada shows Narwhals in pursuit of Arctic cod. The narwhals quickly tapping and whacking the cod with their tusks. This temporarily confuses and immobilizes the fish making them easy for the narwhals to catch.

Brandon Laforest, a senior specialist of Arctic species and ecosystems with WWF-Canada, told National Geographic, "They don't jump like other whales. They are also notoriously skittish. This is an entirely new observation of how the tusk is used."