Huge gathering or Pacific walruses in Alaska beach because of climate change

Sunday, October 5th 2014 - 10:05 UTC

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Scientists have photographed the largest gathering of Pacific walruses ever recorded, on a beach in northern Alaska, blaming climate change for the estimated 35,000 females and calves huddled beside the Chukchi Sea. Read full article

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ilsen
I don't think it is global warming for the reason that they have fled the South Pacific. ..
:)
Oct 05th, 2014 - 09:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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DennisA
This is such desperate nonsense from people on the public dollar, who clearly never do any proper research, or they would never make these ridiculous claims.

Walrus Islands State Game Sanctuary: Best known among the Walrus Islands is Round Island, where each summer large numbers of male walruses haul out on exposed, rocky beaches. Round Island is one of four major terrestrial haulouts in Alaska; the others are Capes Peirce (Togiak NWR), Newenham (Togiak NWR), and Seniavin (near Port Moller).

Walrus return to these haulouts every spring as the ice pack recedes northward, remaining hauled out on the beach for several days between each feeding foray. Up to 14,000 walrus have been counted on Round Island in a single day. However, the number of walrus using the island fluctuates significantly from year to year. The peak count for all of 1998 was only 1,746 walrus.

Walruses spend about half their time in the water and half their time on beaches or ice floes where they gather in large herds.

http://www.carc.org/pubs/v15no5/5.htm
“By about 7000 years ago the massive glaciers of the last Ice Age had retreated to the mountain peaks of the eastern Canadian Arctic. Tundra vegetation had become established, and was grazed by caribou, musk oxen, and, in some areas, by bison. The gulfs and channels between the arctic islands had long been at least seasonally ice-free, and provided a home to populations of seals, walrus, and whales.

There is considerable evidence that for the next 3500 years the arctic climate was noticeably warmer than today, the tree-line was north of its present position, sea ice was less extensive, and animal populations were large and well established.”

Ah well........
Oct 06th, 2014 - 09:52 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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GeoffWard2
I guess those changes some thousands of years ago must be what we call 'non-anthropogenic' global warmings,
however, add the other kind to them and we get what we have today .. much faster, much harsher .. and, essentially irreversible.
Oct 06th, 2014 - 11:00 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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