Narwhals are highly specialized Arctic cetaceans that face welfare threats from sea ice loss, underwater noise pollution, and increased shipping in their formerly remote habitat.
Research using biologging technology has revealed that narwhal stress responses to human disturbance are among the most extreme recorded in any marine mammal. When disturbed, narwhals simultaneously freeze and sprint — an energetically costly and physiologically contradictory response consistent with extreme fear. Shipping noise interferes with the acoustic communication they depend on for feeding and social coordination. As Arctic sea ice retreats and human activity expands into formerly inaccessible narwhal habitat, the welfare costs of this disturbance are growing rapidly. Establishing quiet zones and limiting shipping in critical narwhal habitat are urgent welfare interventions.