Narwhal Quiz: The Sensory Tusk of the Arctic's Unicorn Whale

This narwhal quiz dives into icy Arctic waters with the unicorn of the sea. Play 10 interactive questions on a tusk that is really a tooth, its left-handed spiral, lengths up to about 3 m, mostly males with tusks, nerve endings that may sense water, drone footage of tusks stunning fish, deep dives, no dorsal fin and medieval unicorn horn trade.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Ocean
Where do narwhals live?
Tusk
What is a narwhal's tusk?
Spiral
How does the tusk grow?
Length
About how long can a tusk grow?
Who
Which narwhals usually have tusks?
Sense
What might the tusk's nerve endings do?
Fish
What did drone footage show narwhals doing with tusks?
Dive
How deep can narwhals dive?
Fin
What do narwhals lack on their backs?
Myth
What were narwhal tusks sold as in medieval Europe?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Where do narwhals live?
Answer: Arctic waters
Canada and Greenland host many.
Q2: What is a narwhal's tusk?
Answer: A long tooth
It grows through the upper lip.
Q3: How does the tusk grow?
Answer: In a spiral
The spiral is usually left-handed.
Q4: About how long can a tusk grow?
Answer: About 3 m
It is very long for the body.
Q5: Which narwhals usually have tusks?
Answer: Mostly males
Some females grow one too.
Q6: What might the tusk's nerve endings do?
Answer: Sense changes in the water
Research is still debated.
Q7: What did drone footage show narwhals doing with tusks?
Answer: Tapping fish to stun them
It was filmed in 2017.
Q8: How deep can narwhals dive?
Answer: Over 1,000 m
They hunt deep-water fish.
Q9: What do narwhals lack on their backs?
Answer: A dorsal fin
It helps under sea ice.
Q10: What were narwhal tusks sold as in medieval Europe?
Answer: Unicorn horns
They fetched huge prices.

The Unicorn of the Arctic Sea

Narwhals are whales of the Arctic, living in waters off Canada, Greenland and Russia. Their famous tusk is actually a long tooth that grows through the upper lip in a spiral, usually left-handed, reaching about 3 m. Mostly males have tusks, though some females grow one.

The tusk contains nerve endings, and some researchers suggest it may sense changes in the water, though its uses are still debated. In 2017 drone footage showed narwhals tapping fish with their tusks to stun them before eating.

Narwhals dive over 1,000 m to hunt deep-water fish and have no dorsal fin, which may help under sea ice. In medieval Europe, tusks were sold as unicorn horns for huge prices.

What This Quiz Teaches

Marine life fans will enjoy these questions.

Where narwhals live
What the tusk is
How the tusk may be used
How deep they dive
Which myths they inspired

Did You Know?

Inuit communities hunt narwhals sustainably.
Narwhals travel in pods.
Rare narwhals have two tusks.
Killer whales hunt them.
Sea ice changes affect them.