Will the unicorns of the sea fall silent?

The term “narwhal” derives from the old Nordic for “nár + hvalr”, meaning corpse + whale, which, for these animals, is quickly becoming prophetic. Climate change, with its accompanying increase in human marine activity, has led to the Arctic Ocean becoming noisier. As narwhal rely on sound to communicate and navigate their surroundings, this could result in the extinction of populations like East Greenland's narwhal by as soon as 2025. This is the canary in the coalmine moment for the deep-sea mammals, along with the people who rely on them.

Mary-Ann Ochota investigates how this issue is at once political, cultural, and environmental by talking to the scientists, traditional hunters, and activists, who are all seeking a solution.

Music by Siobhan McDonald, Chris Bean and Jonathan Nangle
Nunavut hunters voiced by Francis Quinn
Producer: Jacob Dabb

(Image: A male and female narwhal, Monodon monoceros, have been digitally created and added to this underwater image of the oceans surface. Credit: David Fleetham/Getty Images)