A massive congregation of walruses was recently discovered on a beach near the Alaskan village of Point Lay. It’s estimated that 35,000 of them were closely assembled together on the sand.
A massive congregation of walruses was recently discovered on a beach near the Alaskan village of Point Lay. It’s estimated that 35,000 of them were closely assembled together on the sand.
The onshore crowd is said to be one of the largest ever recorded in the area. The head of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Pacific walrus research program, Chadwick Jay has confirmed this congregation is comparable in size to another that was seen in Northwest Alaska in 2011 along with a number of others.
Although the sight is a treat for wildlife enthusiasts, biologists say when walruses gather on shore, it’s a bad sign. At this time of year, the population is comprised mostly of juveniles and females. The shore is a long distance away from the prime feeding spots.
The walruses really don’t have much choice in the matter, however, as they need floating ice for resting periods and to care for the juveniles. In recent years, summer sea ice in the area has melted away by the middle of September, forcing the creatures to flock to the shore while not searching for food.
Margaret Williams, who is the managing director of the World Wildlife Fund’s Arctic program notes “The massive concentration of walruses onshore -- when they should be scattered broadly in ice-covered waters -- is just one example of the impacts of climate change on the distribution of marine species in the Arctic.”
