Atlantic Walrus Welfare: Haul-Out Disturbance and Arctic Ice Loss

The Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) is vulnerable to climate change-driven sea ice loss, which is eliminating the resting platforms they depend on between foraging dives. Forced haul-outs on land beaches rather than ice cause dangerous crowding, stampedes, and calf mortality.

Key Facts

Atlantic walruses are classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List with declining trends
Walruses prefer sea ice platforms for hauling out between feeding dives but use beaches as ice disappears
Beach haul-outs of thousands of walruses create dangerous crowding where stampedes crush calves
In 2017, a haul-out on a Novaya Zemlya beach included approximately 3,000 walruses — disturbance caused a stampede killing dozens
Walruses require sea ice within diving distance of foraging areas (ideally less than 80 metres depth)

Welfare Considerations

When walruses are forced onto beaches by ice loss, crowding creates welfare emergencies: calves separated from mothers in dense aggregations cannot reunite and may be crushed in stampedes triggered by human disturbance, drones, aircraft, or polar bears. The energetic cost of hauling out on land rather than ice — requiring walruses to return to water to cool down — is higher and compromises foraging efficiency. Haul-out disturbance from human activity is a major welfare concern: any disturbance of a large beach haul-out risks triggering a stampede with mass calf mortality. Protected buffer zones around haul-out beaches are increasingly recognised as critical welfare measures.

What You Can Do

Support WWF Arctic Programme walrus monitoring and haul-out protection programs
Advocate for mandatory buffer zones around Atlantic walrus haul-out beaches
Support climate action as the primary long-term intervention for sea ice restoration
Donate to Arctic wildlife research organisations monitoring walrus population trends
Never approach walrus haul-out sites — observe from extreme distances to prevent stampede disturbance