thundafunda's Flickr photostream/Creative Commons

Thousands of walruses are gathering on Alaska’s northwestern coast as Arctic sea ice retreats, an increasingly dramatic shift to the region that is largely attributed to climate change.  Perhaps now would be a good time to start singing The Beatles’ I Am the Walrus, so that we consider the dire consequences more personally if we don’t act quickly to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The increased numbers of walruses was noted by US Geological Survey walrus researchers, who have observed that walruses have come ashore intermittently for years during their fall southward migration, but never in such great numbers or so early.  Researchers expect  that the sea ice will continue to retreat in years to come, which not only threatens the fate of the walruses, but also:

Federal managers and researchers say walruses hauling out on shore could lead to deadly stampedes and too much pressure on prey within swimming range.

Predicting what will happen next is probably not the magical mystery tour The Beatles had in mind, but nonetheless researchers are monitoring the walruses closely to see how they are affected by the retreating ice.

Use the action links below to help solve the climate crisis and learn more about walruses and their habitat.  And for some levity: