Walruses Swarm Beaches as Ice Melts | National Geographic

extreme ice melting led to thousands of
walruses making an unusual gathering on
a barrier island in Alaska biologist
with the United States Geological Survey
say the situation can be very dangerous
because walruses are easily startled and
can stampede some walruses particularly
calves and juveniles can get crushed to
death by larger walruses moving about
this aerial video recorded for the USGS
was taken from an altitude of 4,000 feet
near Point lay Alaska because aircraft
could prompt a stampede there’s a no-fly
zone the US Fish and Wildlife Service
asks aircraft to maintain a lateral
distance of a half mile and a minimum
altitude of 1500 feet walruses forage on
the sea floor and usually use sea ice as
a resting platform between feedings this
is the first time tens of thousands of
walruses have been seen crowded together
here though similar sightings have been
recorded in Russia and another area of
northwestern Alaska in years past the
WWF says Arctic sea ice is at the third
lowest level in recorded history
USGS is conducting more research to
better understand the effects of the
walrus haul out and other changes
related to climate change and sea ice
melt
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