Visit the WWF narwhal tracker
The 7 main radios fitted in N Baffin Island back in August have added significant new data and a better sample size for this globally significant summering concentration of narwhal.
Basically the tagged animals remained in the fjords and channels around N Baffin until sea-ice started to form in October. Then they generally headed south and east along the Canadian shelf of Baffin Bay, to wintering areas off Cape Dyer, eastern Baffin Island.
Although the satellite images showed seemingly solid, 100% ice cover in these wintering areas, the currents in Baffin Bay kept the ice moving, and the narrow leads/cracks between sheets of annual sea-ice were clearly enough to provide narwhal with adequate breathing opportunity – between those dives down to sometimes 5000 ft, and the Greenland Halibut stocks down on the sea floor.
These areas, and some of the movement corridors that seem to be used by the narwhal between summering and wintering areas, are currently under various plans and applications for exploratory oil and gas drilling and seismic exploration, in the seemingly relentless search for more oil and gas resources. Having this information on timing of narwhal use of key areas is crucial for effective marine spatial planning in this region – taking care of what key wildlife species need, and not just racing to extract all available resources at whatever cost to the environment.
Over the fall, winter and spring, sea ice conditions were not significantly different in Baffin Bay compared to the average since about 1980. In fact the winter was relatively cold up in Baffin Island. But the overall trend remains one of increasing retreat of sea-ice, as the mean temperatures of both air and sea surface waters steadily increase.
WWF will again partner with local Inuit, and academic and government scientists this fall, and complete a final year of satellite tagging work on narwhal in this Tremblay Sound region. We plan to bring more information and some local stories to this wetracker page, to help convey the facts and figures for this mystical and still rather poorly understood arctic whale.

Visit the WWF narwhal tracker
May 2012
As of May 13th, sea-ice in the Baffin Bay system is changing rapidly now, with already large areas of open water at the northern end (an area commonly referred to as the Northwater Polynya, where due to factors such as water circulation, wind and upwellings extensive areas of open water can usually be found year round despite bone-chilling low air temperatures).  The two remaining narwhals are moving steadily northwards now, along the Canadian continental shelf, just beyond the edge of the landfast ice.  The satellite images show increasing numbers of large leads amidst the mobile pack ice, allowing these mammals plenty of breathing options.
April 2012
As usually happens with these radios, after a few months, the number of functioning units decreases – often battery failure or some electronic problem, or the pack eventually detaches from the narwhal.  So, we are down to 2 transmitting radios now.  And the early spring changes in the annual ice cover are probably what’s causing one of these animals to move – as ice leads start to open up more.  This is also the breeding/mating time for most narwhal.
March 2012
We’re almost at the spring equinox, and at even at 67 degrees N, just north of the Arctic Circle, where our 3 remaining transmitting narwhal have been wintering, things are shifting fast now! With rapidly lengthening days now, warmer daytime temperatures and some melt of sea ice already underway, these narwhal have begun to move northwards in the last few days. At this time of year narwhal breed too.

Visit the WWF narwhal tracker
February 2012
These 4 narwhals are not moving much now. We are approaching March, which in most parts of the Arctic is the month of maximum sea-ice cover. These narwhal are in the area thought to be most regularly used in winter by this species, between SE Baffin Island and Greenland. This distribution is influenced by availability of Greenland Halibut in particular, but probably some other prey species such as squid, which tend to concentrate in areas where nutrients allow benthic organisms to flourish, especially around the edges of the deep centre and adjacent troughs of Baffin Bay.
January 2012
Since December it looks like two of the 7 radios are no longer transmitting, or may simply have become detached from the narwhal’s dorsal ridge.  However, the five remaining whales (all females and all about 13 ft in length, so adults) are all wintering between Qikiqtarjuaq in SE Baffin Island and Disko Bay (W Greenland), in the central basin and deep trench of S Baffin Bay and N Davis Strait – waters up to 2-3,000 m deep!
Past research has found that some wintering narwhal in this area are diving to the seabed in these amazing depths and probably feeding mainly on Greenland Halibut.  Although the satellite sea-ice coverage map shows’ 9+ tenths’ or essentially complete ice cover, clearly there are enough leads/cracks between ice sheets and the narwhals are able to detect and rely on these for breathing.
Surface air temperatures and ice cover appear to be about normal now in this region, so we assume that these narwhals are pretty content doing what they have evolved so highly to do at this season – pack on energy and stay away from predatory killer whales!