Walrus: The King of the Arctic Beaches.

The walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) is a huge sea mammal inhabiting the Arctic waters of North America and Europe. The walrus is a main component of the Arctic ecosystem, which is known for its long tusks and whiskered face. The adults may weigh up to 1500 kg and be over 3 meters long. Walruses are social and most commonly found lying in huge groups on ice floes or beach coasts, where they protect themselves, make motions, and assert their dominance with their tusks.

Walruses have the longest tusks, or long canine teeth, that are observed in both males and females. The tusks may be up to 1 meter, and they serve to fight competitors, climb onto ice, and during mate showoffs. Walruses possess wrinkled skin that is thick and has a heavy layer of blubber, which helps them to withstand the cold. The vibrissae (whiskers) are very sensitive, and they are needed in detecting prey at the bottom of the seafloor.

Walruses live in shallow water of the Arctic region, and they like continental shelves where they get the seabed easily to feed. They are very well suited to frozen conditions, and they drag themselves out on ice floes by means of their tusks and powerful flippers. Responses to the sea ice cover and food availability are in the form of seasonal migrations. The thick blubber is what enables walruses to withstand extreme cold, and they are able to plunge more than 100 meters in the quest of mollusks and crustaceans.

Walruses are mainly benthic feeders, which feed on clams, mussels, snails, and other invertebrates. They feel through their sensitive whiskers where prey is hidden in the sand or mud, and the prey is sucked into the mouth. Men are able to eat hundreds of kilograms of shellfish a day. Although they do not hunt aggressively like polar bears, the walruses are very important ecologically, as they stir the benthic communities in the seabed and ensure the maintenance of the balance.

Walruses are social, and they make herds that have as many as hundreds of them. Tusk displays and the sparring, which are occasional, are used to establish dominance hierarchies. Breeding is between late winter and early spring, and the gestation lasts 11-12 months; females give birth to one calf. The mother calves feed their babies for more than a year, teaching them swimming and foraging techniques.

Climate change, melting of sea ice, and the human activity of hunting and shipping have reduced whales to vulnerable. The disappearance of sea ice reduces resting areas and disturbs feeding areas. The conservation efforts are aimed at safeguarding arctic habitats and controlling hunting activities and populations. The indigenous communities effectively use the walruses for subsistence through hunting sustainably without affecting the conservation interests.

• Tusks keep on increasing during their lifetime.
• The walrus weighs over a small automobile and has a life span of 40 years.
• They are able to reduce their heartbeat in order to survive deep dives greater than 100 meters.
• There are grunts, bellows, and underwater clicks that are employed in vocalization.
• Foraging provides beneficial effects on seabed ecosystems by disturbing sediments, which are caused by walruses.

The walrus is a grandiose Arctic sea mammal with insulated tusks, amazing adaptations, and important ecological functions. Their icy habitat protection and aiding in conservation would also mean that these giants will remain alive in polar lands and provide a balance to marine ecologies.

Alaska Science Center – leading research on walrus populations, sea ice habitats, and conservation.