For the first time ever, footage has been taken of narwhals to show how their tusks help them feed — although it might not be exactly what you’re picturing.
Although they have a pointed end — perfect for spearing and piercing — they actually do the job of a blunt object. They were observed hunting arctic cod off the Canadian coast by a drone, which was able to get in
“As the cod was positioned close to the tip of the tusk, the narwhal then sort of gave it a quick hard tap that likely stunned the fish, it looked like it was momentarily not moving, and then the narwhal would move in with its mouth and suck in the prey,” says Department of Fisheries and Oceans biologist Steve Ferguson in a video uploaded by Fisheries Canada.
Watch the footage below:
