Pacific and Atlantic walruses depend on sea ice for resting, pupping, and accessing prey, making them acutely vulnerable to the dramatic sea ice loss occurring in their Arctic habitat.
Walrus welfare impacts from sea ice loss are among the most dramatic and visible consequences of Arctic climate change. Stampede events at crowded beach haul-outs kill hundreds of animals in minutes, with calves especially vulnerable to crushing and separation. The chronic energetic cost of longer swims to feeding grounds depletes body condition that is critical for surviving Arctic winters. Individual walruses cannot adapt to these rapidly changing conditions through behavioral flexibility — the sea ice they evolved to depend on is simply disappearing. Climate action remains the most fundamental welfare intervention, while management of human disturbance at haul-out sites reduces acute stampede risk.