Hope for Potential Narluga Calves Following Narwhal Adoption by Beluga Pod

 by Estella S-C

Ever since 2016, a pod of beluga whales appears to have taken in a lone male narwhal in Canada's St. Lawrence River who seems to have settled in and contributed to the group having joined the beluga pod. 

Belugas and narwhals are members of the Monodontidae family of cetaceans that roam in the Arctic Ocean and whilst belugas will travel further south in the winter when sea ice forms, narwhals will remain in the Arctic and can spend up to five months submerged in ice. The narwhal's joining of the pod surprised biologists because there isn't much interaction between the two species in the wild. Some behavioural ecologists speculate that because narwhals are sociable animals, the two species may have bonded to protect themselves from predators. As the two species' habitats continue to change in the north, climate change may also lead to more interaction between them.

Experts are keeping an eye on whether the lone male narwhal, who is about 12 years old, would mate with one of its beluga peers to create a hybrid known as a "narluga". Because of the narwhal's strong link with the beluga pod, researchers believe that breeding may take place. There have been numerous observed encounters between beluga and narwhal whales, including social sexual behaviours in both species. A narwhal must become close enough to the other beluga males to form an alliance in order for it to effectively procreate. Once the coalition is established, they will go up to the female whales and court them as a group. Pods of female beluga whales migrate apart in order to nurture and tend to their young. In order to differentiate the lone narwhal from beluga calves, researchers will need to wait until it grows if it is successful in courting a female beluga.

Though there have long been rumours about narluga hybrids, it wasn't until 2019 that a skull's DNA was used to establish the rare species' existence. The skull of a strange cetacean that an Inuit subsistence hunter had killed in Greenland in the 1980s was preserved. It had lower teeth that resembled corkscrews and tiny tusks on its upper jaw, setting it apart from the skulls of belugas and narwhals. The skull was identified as belonging to a first-generation narluga hybrid by DNA and chemical research. If this narluga ever reproduced, that is unknown. Although the majority of hybrid animals live to adulthood, some, like mules, are infertile while others, like ligers, who are a cross between lions and tigers, are fertile. 

Until then, researchers are getting ready to watch and study the communication of this unusual mammal pod when they return to the St. Lawrence River. As things stand, it is unknown if beluga vocalisations are understood by narwhals. Not only is the information entertaining and captivating, but it also holds great power and utility in helping us follow the narwhal's life among the beluga whales. The narwhal could stay for the next 40 years if all goes well; they can live to be 60 or 80 years old.