Pacific walruses depend on Arctic sea ice as resting platforms. As ice retreats, walruses face mass haul-outs on crowded beaches where stampede deaths and stress are increasing.
Sea ice loss has fundamentally disrupted walrus welfare. Historically, walruses rested on ice floes directly above feeding grounds, diving to forage and returning to rest. As ice retreats far north of shallow feeding waters, walruses must make exhausting swims to reach food. When ashore at massive haul-outs, the welfare impacts multiply: overcrowding causes heat stress, disease transmission increases, and any disturbance — by aircraft, boats, or predators — can trigger fatal stampedes that crush calves. Calves separated from mothers in these chaotic conditions face starvation. Reducing disturbance around haul-out sites is an immediate welfare intervention. Fundamentally, Arctic walrus welfare depends on slowing climate change to preserve sea ice.