Narwhals adapting to climate crisis by delaying migration, study finds

Discovery raises hopes that species may be able to survive global heating despite slower genetic evolution due to their long lifespan

Narwhals have been delaying their seasonal migration because of the impact of the climate crisis, suggesting an ability to adapt to the changing Arctic but increasing the risk that they may become trapped in ice, according to new research.

Narwhals, recognisable by their long spiralled tusk that has earned them the nickname unicorns of the sea", inhabit the Arctic waters of Greenland, Canada and Russia. They are a migratory species that spend summer months in ice-free coastal areas before moving to deeper waters between late September and mid-November.