200 Dead Walruses Found On Alaska Coast

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Federal wildlife researchers report that up to 200 dead walruses were spotted from the air along the northwest coast of Alaska.

Researchers spotted 100 to 200 carcasses near Icy Cape, which juts into the Chukchi Sea about 140 miles southwest of Barrow.

For the second time in three years, thousands of walruses have congregated on the northwest coast as Arctic sea ice has receded beyond the shallow continental shelf, where the animals dive for clams and other food.

Why the walruses died is not known, but experts say young animals can be crushed in stampedes when the animals are startled.

About 3,500 walruses were reported last week near Icy Cape.

Comments

[doctordoubt]

Seems like it. At least now we know what she's been doing since she quit. And if anyone would do some homework, they'd discover that glaobal warming is indeed real. It is part of the planetary cycle, except we weren't here for the last one. There is no question man is making it worse, but it is a natrual occurence.

[SimianNation]

Palin has been hunting from the air again.

[jason10006]

I am 100% certain global warming is largely man-made and real and dangerous etc. But this article does NOT say global warming caused this incident. In fact it SPECIFICALLY says that NO ONE KNOWS why or how this happened. So the headline is entirely misleading. This sort of thing might happen all the time, or might be related to something else man does, or who knows.

[kareemachan]

Yes, it does say that, but the headline says "200 Dead Walruses Found On Alaska Coast". That's it, period. So pray tell how that is misleading? So get off your soapbox and quit blathering.

[kareemachan]

Aaaaaaahhhh, I get it. Looks like Huffpo agreed with you about the headline and changed it. Previous post retracted. Gomenasai.....

[Maygressive]

I am sure these 200 Walruses were in on the Global Warming "Hoax"

[realpolitic]

Maybe they were going to reveal the hoax and had to be killed by Al Gore and his minions! Details later!

[realpolitic]

Man, the deniers are really out on this story! With all the evidence about warming they still deny. What will they do when they find out the sun does not revolve around the earth?

"Global warming could doom the walrus"

"Researchers aboard the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Healy during a cruise in the Canada Basin in the summer of 2004 found lone walrus calves swimming far from shore--something never before documented. The sightings suggest that increased polar warming may be forcing mothers to abandon their pups as they follow the rapidly retreating ice northwards. If these observations portray a larger trend, a warmer Arctic may lead to decreases in the walrus population say the scientists whose research was published in the April issue of Aquatic Mammals."

"In February, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced that it was considering a petition to list the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) as threatened under the Endangered Species Act due to the effects of global warming, specifically receding ice and rising temperatures."


http://www.ask.com/bar?q=walruses+global+warming&page=1&qsrc=2106&ab=0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.mongabay.com%2F2006%2F0413-walrus.html

[doxienan]

I don't know why the deniers show up in such great force on stories like this. Any 7th grader can easily research the facts. If you really care about the planet, you will do a little homework.

Humanity's survival depends on humans caring about the earth. Too bad there is so much misinformation spread by King Coal and Big Oil. It's sad that people prefer their lies to the truth about climate change.

[realpolitic]

Yes, they show up on each climate change article and quote misinformation. Like you say, it is so easy to find out simple facts like walruses and polar bears are really threatened by declining Arctic ice. But the deniers prefer to engage in cherrypicking data and attacks on Al Gore because looking up real information does require a little mental energy!

[vippy]

Ca. 4 years ago I read part of the Pentagon Report and while it said that the North Pole is warming up other countries like Europe will freeze over. Isn't the South Pole freezing over now? Europe has had an awful cold weather the last 2 years. I don't know what to believe, I leave that up to the professionals, who are at odds with each other it seems.

[GO-BAMA]

I'm confident global warming is real, but I admit this story is ridiculous. The headline clearly reads: "Global Warming Horror" and then there is nothing in the actual article linking these deaths to global warming! It even states, "Why the walruses died is not known..." Are you KIDDING ME!?

[MaggieNYS]

I think what they were saying is that because of the lack of sea ice, caused by global warming, was the reason that the walruses congretated in such great numbers. The actual cause of death - lack of food, water temperature, or being crushed - is what is unknown. But nature shows about walruses show that they do crush one another if they are too cramped. Males weigh up to 4500 pounds.

[GO-BAMA]

That's true, however, one shouldn't need to indirectly infer these things from proper journalism. This article, in the context of the headline, is substandard, I'm sorry.

[Dixieboy]

What's the point of this story??? "Federal wildlife researchers report 200 dead...spotted from the air...Young animals can be crushed in stampedes when startled". Here's a newsflash for you bunny-huggers. Stop flying over the damn animals in helicopters and scaring the animals.

There's no connection whatsoever to global warming in this single story. Let's get more facts about why they died (like over-population and limited habitat) before the story tries to connect this single event to the unknown effect of global warming.

I love walrus...they taste just like chicken!

[realpolitic]

I am sure if there was some connection to warming you would dismiss and deny it! it is in your DNA!

[kareemachan]

No they don't - they taste fishy.

[Fez]

Please tell me that John Bolton was found among them.

[realpolitic]

If not, he is saddened by the loss of family members!

[outnow]

He is too cheap to buy Just for Men to dye the great white 'stash. It makes him look angrier and older.

[Maygressive]

now that's funny !!

[doxienan]

Connect the dots between global warming and the walrus stampede deaths from this article written two years ago:

'......as ice disappears, walruses have been forced to come ashore in both Russia and Alaska in alarming numbers — with herds as large as 40,000. Scientists are finding it even more startling that walruses have been spotted in locations not used as “haulout” places in centuries. Because walruses are now spending so much time on shore, they have a higher chance of coming into contact with humans, other arctic animals like polar bears, or being startled by low flying aircrafts and noise from boats, which can easily cause them to stampede. Due to the size and weight of walruses (and the fact that they congregate close together when on shore), hundreds of animals can be injured or killed in these mad, panicked dashes, with calves or weaker animals fairing the worst.'

Global warming and the the extinction of some of the planet's largest mammals are really serious problems. Make fun of them at humanity's expense.

[QueenMaeve]

I agree this *can* happen. But they don't even know for certain that these animals were stampeded. This is a big leap, and HuffPo didn't look first.

[realpolitic]

Great point!

[YummyGoodness]

I wonder what the expense to humanity would be if the dinosaurs had never become extinct.

[The Professor]

The doesn't match the story, wonder why? Not even close.

[AmyS43]

Was that a sentence? FYI Strunk and White have an excellent book that would help you.

[The Professor]

Seems that 'link' was missing, my bad. Little Brown Book is really good.

[CJShocker]

The sky is falling too.

[vippy]

Sometimes I think those kind of headlines are determined to gear us up for Cap & Tax. I read an article yesterday in "insideaut­omotive.co­m" (an excellent news source btw) that the earth is actually cooling. I believe that maybe the weather is changing, areas that were hot in the past are getting cooler and vice versa. One only has to look at ancient maps and see how the land masses were different at one time. And I am sure that once upon a time the Northpole was connected to Russia, China and our continent since our Indians have the features of those people.

[doxienan]

I'm sure climate scientists read 'insideaut­omotive.co­m' regularly to find out what's happening with the world's climate.

For pete's sake, please, people - take the time to learn the TRUTH about climate change. There are many forces spending billions to confuse the average person (i.e. Exxon, Peabody Coal, Massey Energy) and they control many of our country's politicians. The fossil fuel companies have a lot at stake. Exxon pulls in $40 billion every year. They don't want to go out of business.

Climate change is very real and is happening much faster than predicted by the IPCC a few years ago.

There are lots of places to get the truth and 'inside automotive blah blah' is NOT one of them.

Go to the Union of Concerned Scientists website if you want the facts about climate change: http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/

[vippy]

We fall easy for scare tactics. Study the old maps versus our new maps and you will see how the earth changes. Right now we seem to see it quicker since our age of information technology has progressed. But the earth has never stood still so to speak.
You can read this and that and still be confused just as the scientists are. Half of them are for global warming and the other half against. That much I do know!

[vendetta]

Did anyone read the following in the story? -- "Why the walruses died is not known..."

[Kellygobraugh]

if the walruses had health insurance, this never would have happened. All the more reason for a public option.

[Behr904]

Maybe Palin shot them from a plane.

[AmyS43]

LOL

[justmakingcomments]

Also, Polar bears will hunt walruses by rushing at the beached group, causing them to panic. The polar bear will then feed on the dead one left behind from the stampede.

Walruses do hang out on beaches. It's a misnomer to say that they only live on the ice.