Ten Facts About Narwhals

1. A narwhal is a mammal and a whale.
2. A group of narwhals is called a "blessing." A group of any other type of whale is called a "pod."
3. The narwhal's horn isn't a horn at all! It's actually a long tusk, or tooth, that cuts through the narwhal's upper lip.
4. The closest relative to the narwhal is the beluga whale.
5. Narwhals are the deepest divers of all whales. They can dive over one mile deep into the Arctic Ocean.
6. The scientific name for narwhal is "monodon monoceros." It means "one horn-one tooth."
7. Narwhals do not always have a tusk. Most of the males have them, but not all. Some of the females have the tusk. And, there are even rare narwhals that have two tusks!
8. Narwhals dive deep to eat squid, shrimp, and halibut.
9. The tusk can be over ten feet long!
10. There has never, ever, been a narwhal in captivity. Anytime a narwhal has been caught by humans, it has always died a few hours later.
BONUS FACT: The most famous narwhal in Hollywood was in the movie "Elf." Mr. Narwhal rises from the icy ocean to say his famous line, "Bye, Buddy. 'Hope you find your dad."