Scientists have found that whales known as narwhals, sometimes called ‘unicorn of the sea' because of their long, ivory tusk that spirals several feet on the top of their heads, can help in their efforts to preserve Arctic waters.

Thus, a new project has been started in August that tagged nine narwhals in Tremblay Sound off the cost of the Nunavut and fitted them with a satellite radio that has a mounted transmitter mounted with Teflon rods to the blubber enar the whale's dorsal area.

With the projects, scientist will learn more about narwhals through radio satellites as they move around the icy waters of northern Canada and about how declining amounts of sea ice affects these creatures.

"Although we've been working on a better understanding of the narwhal in the past seven or eight years, it was only recently that people have figured out how to fit satellite radios to them," said Artic species specialist Pete Ewins.

The digital sensors records various information including the depth and the duration of the whale's dive, where they go and what they are eating. From these information scientists can infer how the thickness of the sea ice in different parts of the Arctic impacts on their behavior.

Narwhals, which has a population of only about 50,000 to 80,000 worldwide with two thirds located in Northern Canada, are protected species and the data that will be gathered can also be used to ensure that these waters be free from oil and gas explorations.

Of the nine narwhals fitted with satellite radios, seven still have trackers that are transmitting information. For the two others, the system may have likely malfunctioned or fell off.

Scientists said eventually all of the trackers will be expelled by the animals' immune systems.