Where walruses live in Russia
Pacific walruses. Wrangel Island Nature Reserve. Photo: Tatiana Pridorozhnaya
There are three subspecies of walrus in Russian waters: Atlantic, Pacific and Laptev. Two of them – Laptevsky and Atlantean – are listed in the Red Book of Russia. The Pacific walrus is the only subspecies that is not listed in the Red Book of Russia. It is the largest and most numerous, and is considered the most studied of all.
The Laptev walrus is endemic to the Russian Arctic, while, as noted in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, its subspecific status is in doubt: according to molecular genetic analysis, it is an isolated population of the Pacific subspecies.
It is extremely difficult to determine the number of walruses, as well as other marine mammals. Observations of them are carried out during scientific expeditions, using camera traps and satellites. The data obtained help scientists to assess the dynamics of the population, as well as to identify the behavior of one of the most vulnerable inhabitants of the Arctic.
The most important factors that affect the state of the walrus population are the economic development of the Arctic and pollution of the World Ocean. Walruses are extremely sensitive to the anxiety factor, and therefore any industrial activity in key habitats of the species can cause significant harm to the populations of these animals.
Climatic factors also have a huge impact on the well–being of the species, primarily global warming, which reduces the amount of sea ice available to animals. Ice is a breeding and resting place for walruses. In winter and spring they live on the ice, where the females bring offspring.
And in the summer and autumn season, walruses move to the northern waters, which are extremely rich in food. If there is no ice in these areas, which has been quite common in recent years, walruses are forced to go out to the coast of the islands and the mainland coast. Here pinnipeds form large, sometimes thousands of rookeries.
Walruses are studied in nature reserves
Atlantic walruses. The Russian Arctic National Park. Photo: Nikolai Gernet
The shores of Wrangel Island, located between the East Siberian and Chukchi Seas, are large habitats of marine giants. Therefore, the Pacific walrus has been monitored annually in the Wrangel Island Nature Reserve (Chukotka Autonomous Okrug) for 35 years, since 1989.
To do this, experts use binoculars to explore the coasts of the islands and the water area in search of animals. If animals are found, the reserve staff should assess the number of walruses on the shore and in the water. Sometimes this is not an easy task at all.
Walruses are very social animals and prefer to huddle on a small strip of shore, lying close to each other or even climbing on top of the rest. If the deposit is small, experts consider dozens of walruses. If we are talking about thousands of animals, then consider them squares, having previously recalculated how many walruses are in the square.
Walrus migration in the area of Wrangel Island usually occurs in August – the end of September. Although sometimes there is a wider time frame for visiting the island: from the end of June to the end of November.
On the coast, marine mammals form either large coastal rookeries or small, several dozen heads, rookeries. Here they rest and feed with their cubs. However, recently scientists have been recording some changes in animal behavior.
In addition to routine monitoring, scientists are also interested in other, more detailed questions about the lifestyle and “habits” of the Pacific walrus. In order to find out, special studies are being conducted.
So, in 2022, on the territory of the Wrangel Island Nature Reserve, scientists managed to install satellite transmitters on two animals in order to track the movements and activity of walruses in the summer and autumn season. The difficulty of such work lies in the fact that it is necessary to get close to the animals without scaring them off, quite close.
Since walruses did not come to the coast in the 2022 season, the group worked from a boat, choosing to tag walruses on drifting ice floes. Both tags were installed in August and worked until October. This made it possible to observe in which places and for how long walruses prefer to stay during this period, where they feed and rest.
The Pacific walrus is also studied in the Beringia National Park (Chukotka Autonomous Okrug). Employees of the protected area keep records of these giants all year round during patrols and share exclusive “news” about the life of walruses.
The Atlantic walrus lives in places of active human economic activity in the Arctic, therefore it is in the most vulnerable position compared to other subspecies, being an indicator of the sustainable state of marine ecosystems of the Russian Arctic.
Atlantic walruses. The National Park “Russian Arctic”. Photo: Nikolai Gernet
Interesting facts about walruses
Walruses are the largest pinnipeds of the Northern Hemisphere. In the wild, these marine mammals live an average of 25-30 years;
Females begin to give birth at the age of 7-8 years and usually give birth to one cub every three years. The female’s pregnancy lasts about 15 months;
At birth, the weight of the baby walrus is up to 85 kilograms, and the height is up to 1.2 meters. For 6 months, the cub feeds only on its mother’s milk, and then gradually begins to eat solid food;
⦁ Females with cubs stay in pairs, apart, reducing the risk of death of the baby in case of a crush;
Females grow up to three meters in length and weigh about a ton. The weight of adult males is 1.6 tons, and the length is 3.6 meters;
Walruses are gregarious animals, living in groups of different numbers. The walrus usually feeds at depths not exceeding 80 m, although it can dive deeper;
These giants can stay underwater for 15-30 minutes, then they are forced to surface for another portion of fresh air;
During prolonged immersion under water , walruses are able to lower their body temperature and slow down their heart rate to 4-15 beats per minute for economical oxygen consumption;
The average swimming speed of walruses is 4-4.5 km/hour. Walruses can accelerate up to 21 km/h at short distances;
Walruses feed on invertebrates, mainly bivalves. Other bottom animals are less likely to be mined: crustaceans, worms, echinoderms and fish;
Sometimes walruses eat other pinnipeds: there have been cases of attacks on ringed seals and Greenland seal pups;
Walrus skin is extremely durable – from 2 to 4.5 cm, and subcutaneous fat is thick – about 10 cm to preserve heat;
The only natural enemy of the walrus is the polar bear. Most often, a bear cannot cope with an adult walrus. Its prey, as a rule, are sick animals or cubs on the coast;
The Pacific walrus is of particular importance to the indigenous people of Chukotka, as its meat is the basis of the traditional diet of the indigenous peoples of the North.
