Narwhal Traditional Cache

This cache is in the Assiniboine Park Zoo. There is an entrance fee. Placing trackables is not recommended in this high muggle area. Summer hours: Open daily from 9:00 a.m. and gates close at 4:30 p.m. Winter hours: Open daily from 9:00 a.m. and gates close at 3:30 p.m. Please treat our animals and plants with respect. Do not approach or feed animals, pick or damage plants, knock on glass, or throw coins in ponds. Please stay on pathways, and respect safety fences.

The Narwhal

The narwhal is known as the “unicorn of the sea”. They are related to bottle-nosed dolphins, belugas, porpoises and orcas. The narwhal eats fish, squid and shrimp. It usually has one baby at a time. The narwhal’s baby is called a calf. Narwhal can weigh more than a ton; up to 3500 pounds. Narwhals can live up to be around 50 years old. Their length is 13 to 20 feet (or 4-6 meters.) The length of the tusk on its head is 7 to 10 feet (or 2-3 meters.) When narwhals are in the water, they use their forehead to feel sound waves. A group of narwhals is called a pod. The main predators of the narwhal are orcas, and to a lesser extent polar bear. Humans also hunt narwhals. In the Middle Ages, people thought that the tusks had magic that would cure illnesses.

Sources:

http://www.myinterestingfacts.com/narwhal-facts/

http://www.hww.ca/en/species/mammals/narwhal.html

By Andrew, Jenna, Kelsey, Peyton, & Riley of Beaverlodge School