ECOLOGY

Environment cold oceans
Organization solitary, pair, or pod (3–18)
Treasure none

The narwhal is a skilled hunter in arctic waters, and has been known to dive deeper than even much larger cetaceans both in open water and beneath thick sheets of waterborne ice. Male narwhals possess a single, 6-foot-long tusk extending from just above the mouth that serves to impress females during mating season, though in times of need the tusks may be used to break through thick ice or even in self-defense. A typical narwhal is 14 feet long (not including the tusk) and weighs 3,200 pounds.

Among the largest animals in the world, cetaceans are as varied as the seas in which they make their homes. From the deadly white whale to the often-friendly dolphin, these air-breathing aquatic mammals are perfectly adapted to life on the open ocean, and aside from their need to occasionally surface to breathe air, they are as versatile swimmers as the fish upon which they feed.

Cetaceans are split into two categories: toothed whales and baleen whales.

Toothed whales eat fish, scooping up whole schools in their wide mouths, while baleen whales filter their tiny-sized food through a comb-like structure. Only toothed whales use echolocation; they possess a lumpy organ on the front of their head called a melon that aids in this ability.

Whalers often hunt cetaceans for their blubber, which whalers render down into oil. Whalers also prize cetaceans' bones and teeth, which artisans use to craft weapons and art objects using a method of carving called scrimshaw.

Despite their massive size, cetaceans can be relatively docile, but predatory species or threatened members of any species make formidable foes in combat, as their size, speed, and relative intelligence make them more of a challenge than most mundane sea creatures.