What Is the Narwhal Tusk For?

If the narwhal’s tusk has long been its most recognisable feature, new research suggests it may also be its most misunderstood.

For centuries, the spiralled tooth—growing up to three metres long and found primarily in males, though present in around 15 percent of females—was assumed to be a display structure, shaped by sexual selection rather than daily survival. While social signalling almost certainly plays a role, recent observations now confirm that the tusk is far more than a visual emblem of the Arctic “unicorn.”

A study published in Frontiers in Marine Science provides the clearest evidence yet that narwhals actively use their tusks as tools—most notably while hunting.

A tool in motion

Using high-resolution drone footage collected in collaboration with Inuit communities in Nunavut, researchers documented narwhals employing their tusks with remarkable precision while pursuing Arctic char. The footage shows individuals tracking fish closely, then using controlled taps and strikes with the tusk’s tip to influence the prey’s movement. In several cases, the force applied appeared sufficient to stun or kill the fish before it was consumed.

The study describes this behaviour as demonstrating “remarkable dexterity, precision, and speed,” challenging earlier assumptions that the tusk’s size would limit its usefulness. Instead, it appears to function as an extension of the animal’s body—deployed deliberately rather than incidentally.

Beyond hunting, researchers recorded a broader repertoire of tusk-related behaviours, including exploration, object manipulation, and social interactions. In total, 17 distinct behaviours were catalogued, revealing a level of behavioural nuance rarely observed in narwhals until now. Opportunistic glaucous gulls were even seen attempting to steal prey, highlighting how tusk use intersects with wider Arctic food webs.

At the same time, these findings raise new questions. The majority of female narwhals—and some males—lack tusks entirely. How do they compensate? What alternative strategies do they use to locate and capture prey? Understanding these differences will be essential for building a complete picture of narwhal ecology.

What is clear, however, is that non-invasive technologies such as drones are transforming what we can learn—allowing scientists to observe behaviour without disturbance, and enabling deeper collaboration with Arctic communities whose knowledge of narwhals spans generations.

Far from being a biological curiosity, the narwhal’s tusk now emerges as a symbol of adaptability itself: a finely tuned interface between animal and environment, shaped not only by evolution, but by daily life in one of the world’s most demanding seas.