Quick answer
Key facts about walrus — size, diet, habitat, and conservation in one place.
Tusks and feeding
Walrus tusks are elongated upper canines that can exceed one metre in large males. They are used to pull the body onto ice, establish dominance, and help the walrus 'feel' the seabed while foraging. A walrus may consume thousands of clams in a day, using powerful lips to suck meat from shells.
Social haul-outs
Walruses rest in dense groups on sea ice or rocky beaches, vocalising with bell-like calls and whistles. Pacific walruses depend heavily on floating ice over shallow feeding grounds; when ice retreats beyond reach of feeding areas, animals haul out on land in enormous, sometimes dangerous crowds.
Pacific vs Atlantic populations
Two recognised subspecies — Atlantic and Pacific — differ in size, tusk shape, and population trends. Pacific walruses number in the low hundreds of thousands; Atlantic walruses are far fewer and more fragmented across Canada, Greenland, and Arctic Europe.
Climate and conservation
Listed Vulnerable, walruses face mounting pressure from sea-ice loss, shipping disturbance, and hunting in some regions. Reduced ice forces longer swims to feeding grounds and crowded land haul-outs where stampedes can kill calves.