Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Meet the Unicorn of the Sea

The narwhal, with its unique spiral tusk, has inspired legend in Inuit society and fascinated people across cultures for centuries. Take a deep dive into the narwhal's Arctic world to explore what makes this mysterious animal and its changing ecosystem so important.

Through first-hand accounts from scientists and Inuit community members, the exhibition will reveal how traditional knowledge and experience, coupled with the latest scientific research, heighten our understanding of these fascinating animals—and our changing global climate.

Discover the fascinating story behind nature’s most intriguing tooth.

Did you know?

A narwhal tusk is a tooth that has erupted out of the whale's jaw. In rare cases a narwhal can have two!

Look For

a mostly red tapestry showing the myth of narwhals as unicorns — Inuit, European, and Asian artworks that shed light on how narwhals may have inspired unicorn lore

entrance view of the narwhal hall with the narhwal expended from the ceiling — A life-sized model of a male narwhal, reaching 18 feet from tusk to tail

A fossil skull from an extinct narwhal relative (© Carl Buell)

Things To Do

Touch a cast of a narwhal’s spiral tusk
Read the Inuit legend of the narwhal, as retold by an elder from Pond Inlet, Nunavut.
Become immersed in the narwhal’s environment via breathtaking panoramic landscape images and a soundscape of shifting ice, flowing water, narwhal vocalizations, and Arctic birdcalls.

Experience More

First Floor | Exhibit

Sant Ocean Hall