Exploring the Frozen Realms: The Fascinating World of the Walrus

The walrus, also known as the sea horse, belongs to the order of marine carnivores. This group includes seals, sea elephants, and sea lions. Unlike fish, which lay eggs, these creatures are warm-blooded, give birth to live young, and nurse them until they're ready to be on their own. The scientific name of this order is "pinnipeds," meaning they have flipper-like limbs, which enable them to swim gracefully and swiftly. They can dive up to 90 meters and stay underwater for half an hour. On land, however, they struggle, crawling heavily on their bellies since their limbs are essentially flippers.

Just Two Teeth...

A walrus is known for its two protruding front teeth, which can grow up to 60 centimeters and weigh around 4 kilograms. They are longer in males than in females. A full-grown walrus can reach over 3.3 meters in length and weigh up to 1,200 kilograms. Living among the ice floes, they have evolved an extraordinary "diving suit" — skin about 7 centimeters thick — with a dense layer of fat beneath, protecting them from the severe cold. Walruses feed on crabs, mollusks, and other small sea creatures, including hard-shelled ones like snails at the ocean floor. They dig with their long teeth and crack open shells, but they can't chew them, so they swallow the shells with the meat inside, later expelling the shell waste.

The walrus has a bulky body covered with wrinkled, dark skin and a thick mustache under which its long teeth stand out. While it lacks acute eyesight, it has an excellent sense of smell, allowing it to detect distant threats across the vast Arctic seas.

Just Let Me Be...

Walruses are social creatures, living in large family groups that can number up to 100 members. They often climb rocky shores or drift on ice floats, seeking to "sunbathe" under the weak Arctic sun. Although calm by nature, a walrus can become quite aggressive if disturbed from its icy slumber, often responding with a strong blow to its neighbor, which might escalate into a brief scuffle before peace is restored.

Don't Mess With Me

Springtime brings joy in the walrus world, with the arrival of calving season. A walrus mother is extraordinarily devoted, willing to risk her life to protect her calf. The calf typically rides on her back, even in water. By age two, the calf's teeth are strong enough for self-defense, and it learns to dig for its own food, transitioning from its mother's milk to independence.

On land, the polar bear is the walrus's enemy. Walruses will fiercely defend themselves and their young. Polar bears approach cautiously, as walruses swivel their heads and prepare to stab the bear with their teeth. The desire to capture a young cub rarely leads to a direct confrontation, and more often than not, the bear retreats, nursing its wounds and reconsidering future attacks.

In the sea, the walrus's formidable foe is the killer whale. A lone walrus might manage a fight, but when whales attack in pods, the walrus is overwhelmed.

A Lethal Hunt

Adding to these natural threats, humans also pose a danger. Eskimos from Alaska and surrounding islands hunt around 3,000 walruses annually for meat and materials. They use walrus skin for tents and blankets, and their teeth for jewelry and tools. U.S. and Canadian laws restrict non-Eskimo hunters and prohibit the export of walrus ivory tusks used for carvings. Today, around 15,000 Atlantic walruses remain, inhabiting the Arctic waters of Canada, Russia, and Greenland, substantially fewer than in the past.