cover image Narwhals: Arctic Whales in a Melting World

Narwhals: Arctic Whales in a Melting World

Todd McLeish. Univ. of Washington, $26.95 (216p) ISBN 978-0-295-99264-8

In the Middle Ages, every terrestrial animal was believed to have a marine counterpart, thus the narwhal%E2%80%94a mysterious, one-tusked Arctic whale%E2%80%94was used to bolster the case for unicorns, and their tusks were sold for vast sums as unicorn horns. Though real, narwhals are poorly understood; research on the species has been slow and difficult, in part because the narwhal spends most of its life deep beneath dense ice. McLeish (Basking with Humpbacks), an amateur narwhal enthusiast, through his ardor and meticulous journalism profiles a fascinating creature physiologically adapted to extreme cold, deep diving, and darkness (narwhals rely on hearing much more than sight). The zoological portions of the book are balanced by human interest: McLeish adeptly describes the strange, small communities of people who live above the Arctic Circle. He is treated to narwhal blubber, an Inuit delicacy, and narwhal steak, while a large group of narwhal hunters and their wives watch closely for his reaction. He also delves into a hot controversy surrounding the potential purposes of the narwhal's "horn". McLeish is a careful narrator, prone to describing Arctic flora, but the book is a rewarding treatise on a fascinating animal. 12 illus. (Apr.)