Scientists in northern Russia havediscovered a huge walrus haulout on the shores of the Kara Seawhere their habitat is under threat from shrinking ice and humanactivity.
The haulout, a place of refuge where walruses congregate,reproduce, and socialise, is located in a remote corner ofRussia’s Yamal peninsula, and scientists say they counted over3,000 animals there last month.
Walrus haulouts have traditionally been located on driftingsea ice or on Arctic islands, scientists say. But warmer climatecycles mean sea ice is shrinking and habitats are under threatfrom oil and gas exploration and more Arctic shipping.
“This haulout is unique because there are both female andmale walruses, as well as calves of different age,” saidAleksander Sokolov, a senior Arctic researcher at Russia’sAcademy of Sciences who called the find a “unique open-airlaboratory”.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)listed the species as “nearly threatened” in 2016, estimatingthe total number of adult Atlantic walruses in the world at12,500.
Before commercial hunting of them was banned internationallyin the middle of the 20th century, their numbers were threatenedby overharvesting for their blubber and ivory.
Andrei Boltunov, from the Marine Mammal Research andExpedition Center, said the Yamal haulout which was firstdiscovered last year but only properly documented last month,showed that the Atlantic walrus population was recovering.
“We want to believe that it’s a positive sign,” saidBoltunov, who said there was too little information for now todraw sweeping conclusions however.
According to Boltunov, the Kara Sea’s ice-free season hasbecome longer in recent decades.
Scientists have taken DNA samples and fitted severalwalruses with satellite tags to monitor their movements for upto several months.
But Boltunov says much work was required to establish whatmade this particular Arctic beach so attractive for thousands ofwalruses and what steps could be taken to protect them
