Narwhals are among the most specialized Arctic mammals and face escalating welfare threats from sea ice loss and increased human activity in their habitat.
Narwhal welfare is acutely tied to sea ice as a physical and psychological refuge. When sea ice retreats, narwhals lose protection from killer whales that cannot operate under dense ice. Ship traffic in newly open Arctic waters causes severe stress responses including cardiac acceleration, panic swimming, and breathing irregularities that have been measured in tagged individuals. Climate change is simultaneously removing their ice refuge and increasing human access to previously protected areas. The combination creates escalating pressure on animals physiologically and behaviorally adapted for a world with more ice than they now encounter.