What are the narwhals up to? Generally, we don't really know! They are mysterious creatures. NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce talks about new, rare drone footage scientists captured of arctic narwhals. The video sparked new ideas for how they use their tusks.Read Nell's full piece.Love mysterious critters and want to hear more? Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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You're listening to Shortwave from NPR. Hey, Shortwavers, Regina Barber here. So if I say unicorns, what comes to mind? For me, I think about the way this legendary creature has been talked about for hundreds and hundreds of years. It's linked to magic and fantasy. And of course, I also think of that key feature of unicorns. You know what I'm talking about. The famous unicorn horn.
You see, in medieval Europe, wealthy people could buy unicorn horns. They looked like these long spiral horns that tapered to a point.
It almost seems like it was the strongest proof that unicorns really did exist.
That's zoologist Greg Okori-Crow. He's with Florida Atlantic University. And he doesn't study unicorns. He studies narwhals, the Arctic whale that has a long tusk jutting out of its head. And it's sometimes called the unicorn of the sea. Greg says way back when, seafarers brought narwhal tusks back to Europe and passed them off as unicorn horns.
And even though they're not really unicorn horns, they're kind of magical.
I've been involved in some satellite tagging of live narwhals, obviously. And it is quite an overwhelming experience to stand there in the water and help hold a live narwhal and sort of feel the tusk.
A tusk can be 10 feet long, and he says it's beautiful.
It almost looks like it has been fashioned and carved. It has a lovely spiral, scrolled pattern to it. So it's mesmerizing, really, in some ways.
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