The narwhal, often called the “unicorn of the sea,” is an Arctic whale known for its large size and unique facial projection. Living year-round in the icy waters of the Arctic, this toothed whale possesses significant physical dimensions. To understand the narwhal’s scale, it is helpful to compare its measurements directly against the familiar size of an adult human.
Narwhal Core Body Dimensions
The body of an adult narwhal, measured from the snout to the tail fluke, exhibits a clear difference in size between the sexes. An adult female narwhal typically reaches a body length of up to 4.0 meters (13 feet), and can weigh between 900 and 1,200 kilograms (2,000 to 2,204 pounds). The male is significantly larger and heavier. Adult male narwhals commonly measure up to 4.6 meters (15 feet) in length, not including the tusk. The weight of a fully grown male often reaches over 1,600 kilograms (3,500 pounds). This sexual dimorphism means the male is not only longer but can also be more than 75% heavier than the female, establishing the male as the larger baseline for comparison.
The Tusk Factor
The narwhal’s most distinguishing feature is the tusk, a spiraled structure that fundamentally changes the animal’s overall maximum length. This projection is an elongated canine tooth, which typically erupts from the left side of the upper jaw in males. The tusk grows continuously throughout the animal’s life and can extend the narwhal’s profile. A large tusk can measure anywhere from 1.5 to 3.0 meters (5 to 10 feet) long, adding substantial length to the whale’s body. Despite its great length, the tusk is relatively light, with large specimens weighing up to 7.45 kilograms (16.4 pounds). This structure lacks the hard enamel coating found on human teeth, instead having a bone-like material called cementum on the surface. The tusk is also highly sensitive, acting as a sensory organ that can detect changes in the surrounding seawater.
Comparing the Scale: Narwhal Length and Weight vs. Human
To place the narwhal’s size into perspective, an average adult human male in the United States stands about 1.75 meters (5 feet 9 inches) tall and weighs approximately 90 kilograms (199 pounds). Comparing the male narwhal’s body length of 4.6 meters to this average human height shows the whale is roughly two and a half times longer than a person is tall. If three average adults were to lie down head-to-toe, they would approximately match the narwhal’s body length, excluding its tusk.
The weight difference is significant, demonstrating the true scale of the narwhal’s mass. An adult male narwhal weighing 1,600 kilograms is approximately eighteen times heavier than a 90-kilogram person. This mass is comparable to the weight of a small passenger vehicle, such as a compact car or a fully grown African giraffe.
When the tusk is included, the total maximum length of a male narwhal can exceed 7.6 meters (25 feet). This total length is greater than two average-sized cars parked bumper-to-bumper. Therefore, while the human is dwarfed by the narwhal’s core body, the animal’s unique tusk further amplifies the size disparity.