Beach Bums | God's World News
Beach Bums
Critter File
Posted: October 30, 2018

What does it sound like when 25,000 walruses move to the beach? People in the village of Point Lay, Alaska, can tell you. The walruses bark. They snort. They sniffle and whoop. Walruses are loud animals! But what are they doing on the beach?

Each summer, thousands of walruses swim to a body of water between Alaska and Russia called the Chukchi Sea. (Walruses swim up to 1,800 miles each year. It’s a good thing they can sleep while they swim!) Usually, walruses pile onto icebergs to take a lunch break. They use sea ice to rest as they dive to the ocean floor to hunt for clams and snails. But in the summer, they need a back-up plan. Icebergs melt when the temperature warms up. By late September, most of the ice in the Chukchi Sea has melted. When they can’t find icebergs, walruses take over beaches!

What does a beach covered with big, slippery walruses look like? U.S. Geological Survey workers saw the walruses. Scientists taking photos of sea life also spotted the massive walrus herd. The animals were laying shoulder to shoulder. The beach was covered with hairy walrus bodies.

Walruses make noise, but they don’t like noise. They are easily startled. Airplanes flying overhead scare them. Loud boat engines shock them. When they are afraid, they stampede back into the sea. When a herd of walruses panics, it is very dangerous. Tiny members of the herd can be crushed. Workers for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are keeping an eye on the walruses. They have asked pilots and boat operators to stay away from the herds. They want to keep the walruses safe.

Cold weather will come. Then walruses will leave the beach. They will swim away in search of icebergs. But next summer, they’ll come back to the Alaskan and Russian coasts. When all that ice melts, they’ll need a good place to chill.