Walrus, Arctic Circle

Walruses are the heavyweights of the seal world. They are giant, wrinkled blobs of blubber that wobble on land but turn into surprisingly graceful swimmers in the water. Adult males can weigh up to 3,300lbs (1,500kg), much of it made up of fat stored beneath their thick, fold-laden skin. Unfortunately, those folds are perfect hiding places for parasites. Grooming is practically a full-time job as they tirelessly scratch and roll around to combat those unwelcome hitchhikers.

There are two living subspecies: the Atlantic walrus, numbering between 20,000 and 50,000 individuals, and the Pacific walrus, with a much healthier population of around 250,000. They are very social animals living in tight groups with a strict hierarchy. The largest, loudest male with the biggest tusks usually reigns supreme, his powerful roar reportedly heard from over a mile (1.6km) away. Tusks, which are elongated upper canine teeth, serve many purposes: tools for climbing onto the ice, weapons for fighting, and stabilisers while resting. During mating season, the tusks indicate social status, strength, and experience, making males more appealing to females.

While they may seem clumsy on land, so much so that they were nearly wiped out during the ivory and oil hunting boom, they are agile in water, reaching speeds up to 19mph (30km/h). They can dive to depths of 360ft (110m) for up to 25 minutes at a time in search of food, using their stiff, sensitive whiskers to feel along the seafloor. Their diet is vast: mussels, snails, sea cucumbers, small crabs, octopus, and flatfish. A walrus can eat up to 6,000 mussels a day, spending 40 to 48 hours continuously swimming and diving, with only brief breaks on land. One study tracked a walrus for 74 hours, observing it eat 126lbs (57kg) of clams and make over 400 dives.

Despite their size, walruses are vulnerable. Calves have a rough start in life, with only about 20% surviving. Polar bears are a major threat, but so are the increasing presence of algae blooms driven by rising ocean temperatures. Walruses are extremely social and sleep huddled close together to conserve warmth, often hauled out in large groups on sea ice or rocky shores. 

Walruses are listed as Vulnerable in certain regions due to threats such as melting sea ice, climate change, increased shipping traffic, and human interference. However, many conservation groups are working to protect their habitats through research, marine protected areas, and collaboration with Indigenous communities. These efforts aim to ensure walrus populations can survive in a rapidly changing Arctic.