Finally saw my first male walrus on Saturday! Off to the portside of the ship, we saw him just prior to reaching our first sampling station. We have been in the ice for the past couple of days. First year ice, less than a meter thick, moves a lot with the wind. There are leads, open patches of water that look like creeks, interspersed throughout the floes of ice. Our big lone bull out on the ice, was near a location a lead had closed. There was a lead less than 100 meters away.
Off in the Distance
Off in the Distance
Walrus on the pack ice in the Bering Sea, Alaska The depth of the Bering Sea was approximately 80 meters when we went by the male. Walrus can dive up to 90 meters to feed on clams on the bottom. More than likely, he came up to rest on the ice when the lead closed. We have seen several groups of walrus in the past couple of days. Most of them have been swimming in the leads. As we approach the polyna near St. Lawrence Island, the abundance and density of the walrus is expected to increase.
For more information, Visit the USGS walrus research home page at <a href="http://alaska.usgs.gov/science/biology/walrus/index.html">http://alaska.usgs.gov/science/biology/walrus/index.html</a>.
**Coming Closer**
Coming Closer
**Male Walrus *
Male Walrus
**Checking us out! *
Checking us out!
** Another Look... *
Another Look...
Walrus on the pack ice in the Bering Sea, Alaska