Narwhals are remarkable Arctic whales whose dependence on sea ice and specialized diet makes them among the most vulnerable cetaceans to climate change.
Wild narwhals face escalating welfare threats linked to Arctic warming. As sea ice retreats, narwhals lose the frozen cover they use to hide from predators — particularly killer whales, which are increasingly entering formerly ice-covered areas. Ice entrapment events, where narwhals become trapped under ice unable to breathe, cause mass drownings. Increased underwater noise from shipping causes chronic stress and disrupts echolocation used for finding prey. Seismic surveys for oil and gas cause acute acoustic trauma. Reduced prey availability due to warming waters may cause malnutrition. These combined stressors threaten both population viability and individual animal wellbeing.