35,000 walruses huddle for safety in Alaska as sea ice melts

Ever-larger gatherings mirror the decline of summer sea ice in the Arctic, which is disappearing due to the warming climate

35,000 Pacific walruses came ashore, unable to find sea ice (AP)

This picture taken in north-west Alaska shows a record gathering of 35,000 Pacific walruses coming ashore because they can’t find sea ice to rest on.

Situated five miles north of the Inupiat village of Point Lay, the enormous congregation was spotted at the weekend during the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s annual marine mammal aerial survey.

These ever-larger gatherings of walruses mirror the decline of summer sea ice in the Arctic, which is being melted by the warming climate.

Pacific walruses spend winters in the Bering Sea. Females give birth on ice, which they use as a diving platform to reach snails, clams and worms on the shallow seabed.

Unlike seals, walruses cannot swim indefinitely and must rest.