Walrus Welfare and Arctic Change

Pacific walruses face dramatic welfare challenges as climate change eliminates the sea ice they depend on for resting, pupping and social life.

Key Facts

Pacific walruses use sea ice as resting platforms between feeding dives
Summer sea ice loss is forcing walruses to haul out on beaches in huge numbers — up to 35,000 at once
Mass haulouts on beaches cause trampling deaths — particularly of calves
Walruses dive to depths of 80-90 m to feed on benthic molluscs — dives are physically demanding
The Pacific walrus population is estimated at around 250,000 — declining but status is contested

Welfare Considerations

Beach mass haulouts create welfare emergencies as tens of thousands of walruses compete for limited space. Calves are trampled, adults injure each other in competition and disease spreads in crowded conditions. Individual walruses are forced to swim hundreds of kilometres between ice resting platforms and feeding grounds — increasing energy expenditure and reducing body condition. The welfare impact of Arctic sea ice loss on walruses is immediate, individual and catastrophic at scale.

What You Can Do

Support Arctic climate advocacy as the most important action for walrus welfare
Donate to the World Wildlife Fund Arctic Programme
Advocate for a moratorium on Arctic oil and gas development that contributes to ice loss
Reduce your carbon footprint through diet, transport and energy choices to help slow Arctic warming