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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Sofia Quaglia

Narwhals adapting to climate crisis by delaying migration, study finds

A narwhal, with its long tusk, surfaces in a small area of sea between ice floes as another narwhal dives
A narwhal swims amid ice during spring migration. Leaving the coast later each year may leave narwhals more vulnerable to getting trapped in sea ice that stops them surfacing. Photograph: Reuters

Narwhals have been delaying their seasonal migration because of the impact of the climate crisis, suggesting an ability to adapt to the changing Arctic but increasing the risk that they may become trapped in ice, according to new research.

Narwhals, recognisable by their long spiralled tusk that has earned them the nickname “unicorns of the sea”, inhabit the Arctic waters of Greenland, Canada and Russia. They are a migratory species that spend summer months in ice-free coastal areas before moving to deeper waters between late September and mid-November.

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