Inuit Hunt as a Platform for Observing Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) in Inglefield Bredning (Kangerlussuaq), Greenland

Abstract

Direct observations of narwhals are scarce but needed for understanding this ecologically and culturally important species. Here, we describe the first boat-based observations of narwhals in their key summering ground in Greenland (Inglefield Bredning), collected during an Inuit hunt and enhanced by drone air support. During 3--8 August 2024, 506 narwhal observations were made from a semi-stationary boat at the head of the fjord, of which 58 were filmed with a drone. Boat observations near the north side of the fjord indicated that narwhals preferentially traveled outward to the west, with a clear link to currents. The presence of narwhals was more likely in the second half of a day but was highly intermittent, with waiting times for observers reaching as much as 15-28 h between sightings, highlighting the patience needed to observe and catch a narwhal. We also recorded a motionless sleep-like behavior at the surface, known as pugginnartoq (Greenlandic) for narwhals. Aerial drone support was useful for revealing unseen-from-sea-surface features and behaviors, which we describe as potentially interesting for future investigation. For example, drone imagery revealed that 71{+/-}7% of narwhals had tusks, with a mean tusk-to-body-length ratio of 0.23{+/-}0.01. Overall, this report shows that hunting expeditions integrated with scientific methods provide important insights and inspire further work.