belwhal

scarequotes commented on the word belwhal

https://cdn.ampproject.org/c/grist.org/climate-energy/pizzlies-narlugas-and-other-creatures-from-our-weird-changing-world/amp/

In the 1980s, researchers discovered a whale skull in West Greenland that looked suspiciously like a beluga-narwhal mashup. Since then, hunters have spotted the hybrid creatures in chilly Arctic waters. Apparently, beluga whales and narwhals produce offspring with big, burly heads — but, sadly, no tusks. (We drew one in anyway.)

While belwhal is a worthwhile contender, narluga is hard to beat. It captures the distinctive sounds of both animals’ names — the nar- of narwhal and the -luga of beluga — and sounds pretty mellifluous to boot. Try it yourself: Narluuuuuuuuga!

June 8, 2016