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| Marie Auger-M沤th沤 with her trusty camera. (Marianne Marcoux) |
Marie Auger-M沤th沤 admits to entertaining some romantic notions about the sea creature she脮s long been fascinated with.
And no wonder. The narwhal and its spiraled tusk 脩 actually a tooth 脩 is the inspiration for the legend of the unicorn. So coveted was the fabled unicorn horn that Queen Elizabeth in the 16th century acquired one valued at 10,000 pounds 脨 at the time, more than what a castle would cost. In Denmark, the royal throne is made of narwhal tusks, and, in Japan, two crossed narwhal teeth adorn the entrance to Kornikaku Palace.
脪I had this idea that narwhals would be very elegant, very graceful,鈥� says the AV俱乐部 master脮s student, a member of Hal Whitehead脮s research group. 脪I actually find them to be a very funny species.鈥�
Ms. Auger-M沤th沤 (BSc 脭05) and Marianne Marcoux, a PhD student from McGill University, spent last summer in Canada脮s high Arctic and are about to embark on another summer of field research.
Photo essay: The Narwhal Project
She recalls her first glimpse of the narwhals from their camp on Koluktoo Bay, about a six-hour trip from the closest community of Pond Inlet on Baffin Island. A group of about 300 of the whales swam past 脩 脪a narwhal highway鈥� 脩 and they could hear the air escaping from their blow holes.
脪All we heard was 脭pffft, pffffft, pfffft,脮鈥� she says, laughing. 脪They make this farting noise. They were so loud they脮d wake us up at night.鈥�
There is a lot to learn about the mammals, which can weigh up 1,600 kg at maturity and dive to depths of 3,300 feet. But no one really knows how they communicate and socialize. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature categorizes the narwhal as 脪insufficiently known.鈥�
Building on last season脮s research, Ms. Auger-M沤th沤 is developing a method to identify individual narwhals, based on the pattern of notches along their dorsal ridge. Her research involves taking photographs of the animals 脩 the research is sponsored by Nikon 脩 and comparing the photos to last year脮s batch using a computer program she脮s customized for the purpose.
脪Seeing the animals is always exciting,鈥� says the 25-year-old student from Montreal. 脪It脮s definitely better than sitting in front of the computer.鈥�
Mystery molar
Another mystery about the animals is what that left front tooth 脩 it can grow to lengths of three metres in males 脩 is used for. Theories abound, including聽use as a聽weapon of aggression between males, to break ice, to spear food during hunting. One hypothesis, put forth by Harvard University dentist and explorer Martin Nweeia, suggests the tusk is a kind of sensory probe.聽
In any case, it脮s coveted by collectors who脮ll pay in the thousands of dollars for one, especially since the trade in elephant ivory has been made illegal. Narwhal hunting remains an important source of food and cash income for residents of some coastal communities in the eastern Canadian Arctic and Greenland. The tusks, however, are supposed to be a by-product.
It脮s a sensitive issue in the far north, where talk of quotas is despised and regarded as interference. Ms. Auger-M沤th沤 says part of their job involves explaining to hunters and trappers the nature of their research. They also learn a lot talking to Inuit elders, who have observed narwhals all their lives.
脪It脮s us getting to know them and them getting to know us,鈥� she says.