The official start of winter is only a few days away. But for some animals, surviving the cold is a year-round effort. Whether on land or at sea, these three Arctic animals show us how to do the cold right.
Walrus
They may look all tooth-and-blubber, but there is more to a walrus than meets the eye. For example, did you know that they can control their heart beat to help withstand the cold? Or that male walruses are quite the singers? During courtship, some males sing for up to 65 hours! But perhaps what is most remarkable about walruses is their intelligence. They share food, help defend each other, display social mimicry, and have strong social bonds (a female walrus will stay with its mother for life).
A walrus’ home is out on the sea ice, where they rest between dives. But as the world warms, refuge on the ice is becoming increasingly harder to find. Many walruses are now swimming further and settling ashore in mass gatherings out of desperation, resulting in dangerous consequences — stampedes, disease, and deathly falls.
Beluga Whale
While they are some of the slowest whales, belugas are also some of the most vocal, hence their nicknames “sea canaries”. Their “singing” is an essential skill — helping them hunt, find food and each other. Like walruses, belugas are also known to be curious and highly social creatures. These winter-white whales are born grey and don’t have a dorsal fin — an adaptation to their icy world.
Though protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), belugas still face threats as their environment warms and shipping traffic increases. Over 300 are also still held in captivity.
Seals
There are six species of seal that dwell in the Arctic, splitting their time between shore and sea. There’s the adorable harp seal that can hold its breath for 15 minutes underwater and can dive to depths of 1,000 feet! And the ringed seal with claws to dig into the ice. One subspecies of ringed seal, the Saimaa ringed seal, is critically ENDANGERED. A little over 400 Saimaa seals can only be found in Finland’s Lake Saimaa.
In this inevitably warming world, our cold-loving wildlife friends need our help. Help keep WINTER WILD with a donation to organizations helping protect ENDANGERED animals.
