Narwhals are among the most sensitive cetaceans to human disturbance, with ice entrapment and shipping noise causing significant welfare harm to this iconic Arctic species.
Narwhals caught in ivu events experience acute panic, exhaustion and suffocation as they compete for dwindling breathing holes. Shipping traffic through their critical summer feeding habitats disrupts communication and feeding. Traditional Inuit narwhal hunts, while culturally significant, use harpoons that can cause prolonged suffering before death. Narwhals in captivity — rare and usually unsuccessful — experience extreme stress and die rapidly, suggesting high welfare sensitivity.