Top 10 facts about walruses

The Atlantic and Pacific – which both occupy different areas of the Arctic. There's thought to be around 25,000 Atlantic and around 200,000 Pacific walrus in the wild. 

Male Pacific walruses can reach 3.6 m long and weigh over 1,500kg (that’s 1.5 tonnes!). And big is beautiful – they need fat to stay alive. 

 They use these tusks to help them haul themselves out of the water and onto sea ice. Their tusks are also used for fighting with other walruses, and defence against predators.

A mother will pick a calf up with her flippers and hold it to her chest if it’s threatened, diving into the water with it to escape predators. Walruses have young fairly infrequently, so it is vital for them to protect their offspring. 

And it shows. Most of them carry a vast map scars on their skin – wounds inflicted in disputes with fellow walrus during the breeding season.  

They seem to prefer feeding at the bottom of shallow waters, eating clams, molluscs, worms, snails, soft shell crabs, shrimp and sea cucumbers. Tasty. 

They feed on the shallow continental shelf in the Chukchi Sea. These walruses use sea ice for resting between feeding bouts, breeding, giving birth and nursing their young, as well as for shelter from rough seas and predators.

Unlike Pacific walruses, Atlantic walruses prefer to rest ashore, as most feeding grounds in the Atlantic are closer to land.

During their mass gatherings, stampedes can occur as easily spooked walruses attempt to reach the water.

Melting sea ice means more Pacific walruses are resting on land, further from their feeding grounds. These ever growing gatherings can be deadly, especially for young calves. 

And as the Arctic opens up to more shipping, tourism, industry and noise, the Atlantic walruses are at greater threat of disturbance, and therefore stampedes.