Narwhals: Unicorns of the ocean

The narwhal, Monodon monoceros, is a toothed whale of medium size which inhabits an area of the Atlantic ocean around the fjjords and inlets of Greenland and Northern Canada. Male narwhals are distinguishable by the sizeable long ‘tusk’ which extends from the upper jaw. Despite first appearance this tusk is actually a developed incisor tooth, helical in form, which gives the tusk its spiralling shape. The vast majority of male narwhals are single-tusks, with the tusk always growing from the left half of the upper jaw. Much rarer are the double-tusked narwhals which develop long tusks from both the left and right sides of the upper jaw.

Mediaeval Europeans prized the narwhal’s tusk, believing it to have healing properties and magical powers, thought to cure everything from depression to poisoning. It was believed that there was no poison in existence that could not be guarded against by drinking from a cup made of a narwhal’s tusk. Washed-up narwhal tusks are often accredited as leading to the legend of the unicorn, a creature perhaps not that more magical looking than the very real narwhal.

A recent survey of the Mr Cloud office found that 50% of the workforce thought that narwhals were mythical creatures.

This narwhal t-shirt features a friendly narwhal who is perhaps unaware of how dangerously cumbersome his very handsome tusk actually is. All he wants is to make friends! Show your support for narwhals with this fun and attractive tee.