Video: 30,000 Walruses Hauled Out on Northern Alaskan Beach

Posted on August 9, 2013

The extent of summer sea ice in the Chukchi Sea has been declining substantially in recent years and researchers say this is forcing walruses to find new places to rest.

This aerial footage shows a huge number of walruses hauled on on an Alaskan beach. Researchers documented about 30,000 walruses along 1 kilometer of beach in 2011. The researchers say the younger animals tend to be located closer to the water. The research paper, "Estimating Age Ratios and Size of Pacific Walrus Herds on Coastal Haulouts using Video Imaging," was published here in PLoS One.

Here is the video footage of the massive walrus hangout:

ANIMALS