Narwhals live a secretive life with a huge body and a long, single tusk like the horn of a unicorn. They live and move in groups, large and small. Narwhals gather in groups known as pods, schools, or blessings. The other names for narwhal groups are gam, herd and mod.
The group can be smaller or larger. The number can be from 100 to 1000. A group of narwhals is probably called a blessing because the sight of narwhals is the rarest of views.
When narwhals travel in packs, they have an advantage in terms of survival. They have various sizes of groups, and the migration factor makes it more significant. It would be beneficial to observe in more detail how they deal with challenges associated with living in groups.
Why Do Narwhals Move in Groups? 4 Common Reasons
Narwhals travel in pods, and occasionally different pods will interact to form a diverse group for social interaction. The narwhals have complex behavior patterns. The pods aid narwhals in social interaction, communication, and protection.
4 Common Reasons to Make Narwhals Move In Groups
Following are the reasons to make narwhals move in groups:
- Hunting is done better when narwhals travel in groups. They are better together to increase foraging efficiency and herd fish and squid.
- A sense of protection and safety prevails in groups and helps narwhals nourish social bonds within the pod.
- Narwhals have special vocalizations to communicate. This communication takes a step further in groups. Even a young narwhal needs a group to learn tactics to hunt and survive the harsh climate of the Arctic.
- Staying in pods encourages mating and reproduction. Within the pod, the males compete to attract the females.
Narwhals are social creatures that are very devoted to their pod mates. Thus, the strength of the pod strengthens communication, safety, and protection. This is the reason narwhals move in groups.
Which Narwhals Make a Group?
Males, females, and calves are typically present in narwhal pods. However, there are some pods known as nurseries that consist of females and calves only.
Accordingto research, narwhals and belugas belong to the same cetacean family called Monodontidae. Surprisingly, the scientists observed a pod of belugas with a lone narwhal.
Behavioral ecologist Erica Siracusa reports that the two species may have joined groups to make one pod to stay away from predators.
Do Narwhals Also Have a Pod?
A pod is a group of species, whether it be an animal or a plant, where they interact and communicate to live more comfortably and safely.
Although narwhals are still a mystery because of their harsh environment and remote lifestyle, they are still being studied because of their rarity.
They are migratory animals and have complex behavioral patterns in pods.
Pods help them travel long distances safely. The conditions of the habitat, climatic changes, and group size do affect pod living.
Facts About Narwhals: There Is More to Know
The ability of narwhals to remain motionless while lying upside down in the water is just one of the many fascinating characteristics of these animals. This is how they are known as corpse whales. About the group, you may know more:
- The pod has a number between 6 and 20
- Sometimes the groups have narwhals between 3 and 8.
- You can rename them by sex. Often, pods of males known as bachelors are common.
- Among many gregarious behaviors, the males do tusking, as in running tusks, to show dominance hierarchies.
FAQs
Is there any disadvantage of a narwhal group?
Although traveling in a socially cohesive group can be beneficial, one of the hunting features is unlikely to support group travel. While breathing through ice cracks, sometimes climate change traps them in suddenly formed ice. They die of suffocation in huge numbers. It is because they are in groups.
Where are we likely to find a group of Narwhals?
Wherever they are, narwhals are typically found in packs. However, there is a difference in size. The group typically consists of 15 to 20 narwhals, but during the summer when they migrate, they form a large group with more than 1000 members. In winter, the ice sheets force them to form smaller groups.
How do the narwhals travel in groups?
They stick together and swim close to the surface when they are traveling in large groups. The swimming is rather fast.
Conclusion
In this way, narwhal communities support their socialization, communication, and long-distance travel. Even to this date, many facts about the narwhals are still a mystery. This is a result of the Arctic’s harsher climate, which makes it challenging for researchers to be successful and learn more. When studying beluga whales and attempting to learn about beluga whale groups, the information box regarding beluga becomes stronger.
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