By Margaret Badore, Source: Treehugger

Thousands of walrus were spotted on a beach in northwest Alaska during a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) survey of arctic marine mammals. Photographed by plane, an estimated 35,000 walrus were gathered on the shore, about 5 miles from the Inupiat village of Point Lay. The photos were taken on September 27.

It’s normal for pods of walrus to rest on floating sea ice, but as sea ice continues to disappear, these mammals are forced to seek respite on land. Last month, arctic sea ice covered the sixth smallest area ever recorded.

Read the full story at: Treehugger