With all that water and little to no sea ice, walrus have no where to go (Flickr Creative Commons/Claumoho).

The walrus have begun packing themselves along a beach shore near a small village of Point Lay since mid-September. The National Marine Fisheries Service said that on Sept. 12th, 1,500 to 4,000 walrus were counted by aerial photographs, but by the end of the month, the number of walrus had swollen to around 10,000. 

The appearance of all of these walrus is a phenomenon created by a record high rate of melting sea ice in the Arctic. In the Arctic, temperature has increased at twice the rate as the rest of the world. Arctic sea ice has declined by more than 51,000 square miles ever since satellites began to measure Arctic sea ice in 1979; sea ice is currently at its lowest point in 1,500 years. With Arctic sea ice melting at an alarming rate of 12 percent per decade, studies suggest that the Arctic will be ice free by 2030. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided to step in once they saw these animals living in such cramped quarters. Walrus are known to stampede when in great numbers, often leading to the deaths of many calves. Along with trying to prevent a stampede, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works to keep the public at a safe distance away from the herds.

Walrus can eat anywhere from three to six percent of their total body weight per day, with mollusks as the food of choice. Due to their limited diving abilities and poor visibility in deep and murky waters, walrus depend on shallow waters to provide them with food. When hunting in the Arctic, walrus tend to use the edges of sea ice to rest and dive. In addition to using sea ice in their strategic hunting tactics, female walrus also give birth on it.

As the edges of sea ice melts, the centers of sea ice become located above deeper water, where walrus prefer not to tread in. As a result, walrus have been observed abandoning their homes in search of places with shallower water. 

Unless scientists come up with a way to address climate change, walrus and other animals will continue to travel farther and farther away from their native habitats. Not only will this affect how each animal lives, but it will also put a strain on the local ecosystems of where they decide to settle since they will be feeding and living in concentrated locations. In addition, depending on where they settle, these animals could alter our way of life. 

Reach Staff Reporter Janelle Cabuco here.