Narwhals Are in Danger of Extinction Due to Excessive Hunting

The Narwhal population is in danger due to the excessive hunting for their meat, blubber, and spiraling ivory tusks.

When you think about the ivory trade, you most likely think of the dangers that elephants and rhinos are facing.

While you’d be right to think of those beautiful animals — there’s another species that most people aren’t thinking about.

The Narwhal — also known as “unicorns of the sea” — live in the Arctic waters of Canada, Greenland, Norway, and Russia … and they are very much under threat.

Take a look at these photos …

View this post on Instagram

⚠️WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES⚠️ Please share this post to spread awareness of this urgent issue because the unsustainable killing of our planet’s wildlife MUST STOP NOW! This is from our friend @perrinjames1 who says: “when you think about ivory trade elephants and rhinos at least for me are the first to come to mind. “Unicorns of the sea” or Narwhals are best known for their tusks which can grow up to 10ft long and are very much under threat from the sale of their tusks. Due to the remoteness of these animals many of these ivory sales continue unseen and today the average price of a narwhal tusk is around $3,500-$12,000 while rare “double tusks” can go for up to $25,000! When I first visited the Arctic we were told a beautiful story of how these animals are hunted sustainably as they have been for thousands of years, but as my work continued, at least in this part of the Arctic circle, we found many of the animals with there heads/tusks cut off and the body left for the polar bears.” THIS IS NOT RIGHT and we must make everyone aware of this issue before we lose all the narwhals. Swipe over to see what these incredible creatures look like when alive, we posted a beautiful photo by @brianskerry who says “Since access to this species has historically been limited due to the challenges of working in the places they live, much remains unknown about the intricacies of their lives. But based on what we do know, it seems clear that they have rich cultures and complex social relationships.” Shouldn’t we study these magical animals and find out more about them instead of just killing them all? Please share this important post with your followers & tag people, celebrities and influencers who can help join the fight to #savethenarwhals and #saveourplanet too! #karmagawa #savethereef

A post shared by SaveTheReef (@savethereef) on Jun 25, 2020 at 3:51pm PDT

Narwhals are best known for their tusks, which can grow up to 10 feet long. And because of their rarity, the average price of a narwhal tusk is around $3,500–$12,000. Double tusks — which are even rarer — can go up to $25,000.

Scientists say the excessive hunting in Greenland has nearly wiped them out in that area. The numbers in Greenland have dropped from 1,945 in 2008 to only 246 when they were last estimated 2 years ago.

The numbers could be lower today, and unfortunately, the local government hasn’t done enough to protect them.

Access to Narwhals has historically been limited due to the challenges of working in the places they live in, so much remains to be known about this magical animal and the intricacies of their lives.

Based on what we know, it’s clear that they have rich cultures and complex social relationships.

So many of us will be heartbroken if Narwhals are wiped out … these magnificent creatures must be protected.

We’ll continue to pay attention to this urgent issue and let our audience know important information about them — because this senseless killing for profit needs to stop!

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more important stories, and make sure to share with your family and loved ones. 

What else is happening with our oceans and sea life? Watch this intense video…

The director/producer of “50 Minutes to Save the World,” Amir Zakeri, created a masterclass for us to help Karmagawa and SaveTheReef followers learn how to tell compelling stories through video — and you can get 50% off the regular price.  

Proceeds go to great causes, so not only will you learn a valuable skill — you’ll be helping great organizations. Get started now! 

What do you think about the possibility of a world without Narwhals? Leave a comment below.

(Cover image: Dotted Yeti/Shutterstock)