The folks over at Brüdder have posted a great video of their encounter with a narwhal on their recent Arctic Kingdom-led expedition to Baffin Island.

It’s a bit shaky (understandable given the cameraman’s cold hands and the fact that the narwhal dove under the kayak!), but I think it really captures something essential about the one-on-whale encounter!

Kayaking with Narwhal from Brüdder on Vimeo.

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Over on the Oceana North America blog, they’ve got a “Fact of the Day” feature up on narwhals, one of my favorite Arctic sea mammals.

Narwhals are actually enjoying something of a surge in popularity right now. Not only do they play a big role in Brudder’s upcoming film, they’re the new “It” accessory, beloved of hipsters and marine biologists alike. I’m not even kidding: You can get your narwhal accessories in the form of nightlights or necklaces, or even knit your own narwhal!

Of course, the truly hip prefer their narwhals live and in the wild. The Arctic isn’t just cool, it’s freezing.

(The pedantic blogger in me has to point out that the narwhal’s mouth in the video clip above is in entirely the wrong place. That horn is, as we all well know, a long tooth, and not just some poky thing the narwhal wears as a hat).

Fact of the Day: Narwhal | Oceana North America.

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According to Thomas’s latest tweet, the current expedition observed some Narwhal mating behaviour. He writes,

NARWAHLS AT THE FLOE EDGE. MALES COURTING FEMALES. TUSKS DISPLAYED. BEAUTIFUL!

This photo is from a 2002 expedition. Here's hoping they're getting some good shots!

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Last week, we featured some footage from the Spanish television show Desafio Extremo, which features travel adventures all over the globe. Arctic Kingdom had the pleasure of bringing the Desafio Extremo crew north for their Buceo Ártico episode, and we’re really excited with the moments they were able to capture on film.

Over on the Desafio Extremo website, they’re hosting a poll, where viewers can vote for their favorite trip from the current season. Personally, we’re partial to one episode in particular. But really, can you blame us?

In the video below (Jesús y María al final logran encontrarse con los narvales) Jesús and Maria encounter a narwhal at last. There’s gorgeous underwater footage leading up to it, but, if you’re too impatient, skip to 2:30 to see the whale!

Vote Arctic! Vote Often!

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Long-time readers of this blog might remember this post, where I mentioned that expedition Expedition Manager Tom Lennartz was up on the ice near Baffin Island with a then-unnamed Spanish film crew.

Well, the footage from that expedition — part of the series Desafio Extremo, or Extreme Challenge — is now online. And it’s pretty spectacular, capturing both the beauty and danger of diving beneath the Arctic ice.

Check out the videos online here, and if you read Spanish (or feel like cheating, as I did, with a free online translator) you can read Jesús Calleja’s account of the adventure on his blog, which really captures the adrenaline of piloting a snowmobile across the sea ice, as well as the combination of on-the-ice flexibility and strong infrastructure needed to pull off a filming expedition to the Arctic!

Here’s a teaser for the show. Visit the Desafino Extremo site for more photos and footage of the adventure!

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Found via Narwhals: The Unicorn of the Sea | Aquaviews – Online SCUBA Magazine.

Edited to Add: As Tom points out in the comments section, much of this footage was taken by filmmaker Doug Allen on an Arctic Kingdom expedition to Lancaster Sound.

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Watching Narwhals in Arctic Bay, 2002

I just stumbled across an interesting entry over on the Polar Field Services’ “Field Notes” blog summarizing current research being done on Narwhals, including the work AK blog faves Kristin Laidre and Martin T. Nweeia.

It’s an interesting post, with some great pictures and links. I was particularly interested in the news that Dr. Nweeia has recently been awarded a new grant by the National Science Foundation to continue his research into the nature and purpose of the narwhal’s tusk. Dr Nweeia will be interviewing hunters and elders in communities in Northeastern Baffin Island and Northwestern Greenland and integrating their knowledge with his scientific research to create a more complete picture of narwhal anatomy and behaviour.

via Narwhals « Polar Field Services Field Notes.

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Yesterday’s Morning Edition on NPR featured another story on Dr. Kristin Laidre’s research on Narwhals. This story focused on the techniques she’s using to tag the whales, and the Inuit hunters who are using traditional hunting methods to make Dr. Laidre’s research possible. Listen in or read a transcript over on the Morning Edition website.

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Loyal readers of this blog may remember Kristin Laidre, the ballet-dancer-turned-oceanographer whose research on narwhals kicked off our Narwhal Week this past June.

So it was a bit like running into an old friend when I turned on NPR’s morning edition yesterday to hear a field report on Dr. Laidre’s research.

The piece really brings home the difficulties inherent in studying narwhals, from the harsh conditions at the top of the world to the slippery nature of the creatures themselves. Visit NPR’s website to listen to the feature or read a written version of the piece. And blog readers in the States should be sure to listen to today’s Morning Edition for a follow up piece on the Inuit hunters assisting Dr. Laidre with her research. That piece should also be available online any time after 9:00 AM EST today.

Does all this talk of narwhals have you itching for an Arctic expedition of your own? Check out our trips page for more information on expeditions across the hemisphere!

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The  July 2009 Newsletter was just released.    The direct link to the newsletter can be found here.

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– Thomas

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