A northern marine mammal recognized by long tusks and sturdy whiskers around its muzzle.
Both males and females have tusks. They have no outer ear flaps and can turn their hind flippers under the body to walk ashore.
Walruses find clams with sensitive whiskers, clear soft sediment with their front flippers and suck the flesh from shells. They feed in shallow water and rest together on nearby ice or shores.
After severe historical hunting, walruses were protected in Svalbard in 1952. Aerial surveys count animals ashore and use tracking data to adjust for those at sea during photography.
The 2018 survey estimated 5,503 walruses in the Svalbard area. Nineteen visited haul-outs were occupied, seven with calves. These observations document local recovery after protection.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Walruses were protected in Svalbard in 1952 after heavy hunting. Aerial counts, adjusted for animals at sea, document recovery in this region.