Home › Mammalia › Odobenidae › Pacific Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens)
SPECIES PROFILE
Pacific Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens)
Odobenus
IUCN STATUS
Vulnerable
CONSERVATION STATUS
Vulnerable
CLASS
Mammalia
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea, and Beaufort Sea; major Alaskan haul-outs on Round Island, Cape Seniavin, and Cape Pierce
DIET
Carnivore
HABITAT
Arctic and sub-Arctic sea ice platforms for resting; shallow Bering and Chukchi Sea floor for foraging; summer haul-outs on Alaskan islands
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Mammalia
ORDER
Carnivora
FAMILY
Odobenidae
GENUS
Odobenus
📋 Description
SIZE
Males 900–1,500 kg; females 400–800 kg; tusks up to 1 m in males
COLORATION
Grey to brown wrinkled skin with sparse hairs; massive ivory tusks in both sexes; wide whisker pad (vibrissae) for detecting molluscs; no dorsal fin
ADAPTATIONS
Uses tusks to haul out and as weapons; whiskers detect clams in seafloor sediment; dives to 90 m for bottom-foraging
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Arctic and sub-Arctic sea ice platforms for resting; shallow Bering and Chukchi Sea floor for foraging; summer haul-outs on Alaskan islands
DIET
Carnivore
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea, and Beaufort Sea; major Alaskan haul-outs on Round Island, Cape Seniavin, and Cape Pierce
REPRODUCTION
Single calf born on sea ice in spring after 15-month gestation; calf nurses for over 2 years; strong mother-calf bond
DIET DETAILS
Bivalve molluscs (clams, cockles) excavated from seafloor sediment; also worms, sea cucumbers, crabs, and occasionally seals
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Sea ice loss from climate change forcing walruses onto crowded land haul-outs where stampede mortality is high; past commercial hunting reduced populations
💡 Interesting Facts
1
Pacific Walrus populations declined sharply in recent decades as sea ice retreated, forcing animals onto crowded land haul-outs where thousands have died in stampedes.
2
Walruses can slow their heart rate to just 4–6 beats per minute to remain submerged for up to 10 minutes while foraging on the ocean floor.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Round Island State Game Sanctuary near Dillingham, AK, has one of the largest Pacific Walrus haul-outs in the world
Cape Seniavin near Herendeen Bay, AK, is an important Pacific Walrus summer haul-out on the Alaska Peninsula
Cape Pierce near Dillingham, AK, is another major Pacific Walrus haulout site in Bristol Bay
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
July to September at Round Island State Game Sanctuary near Dillingham, AK; permit required for access to this remote island with up to 14,000 walruses.
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Autumn. Round Island in Bristol Bay is the premier Pacific Walrus haul-out site; summer ice-associated groups visible from research vessels.
