Orphaned Walrus Calf Found Between Two Carcasses in Alaska Gets a New Home in Florida

A Pacific walrus calf found alone on an Alaska beach has made a roughly 4,000-mile journey to a new home at SeaWorld Orlando, where he is now in quarantine and receiving round-the-clock care.

The rescue

In mid-September, college student Violet Anniskett was helping U.S. Geological Survey walrus researcher Tony Fischbach count carcasses on a beach near Point Lay on Alaska's northwest coast, Alaska Public Media reported. She noticed a calf sandwiched between two dead adults, saw its stomach move, and then its eyes opened. The herd had left during heavy surf, and the calf was hiding between the remains.

Because community members hunt walrus for subsistence, the community was consulted before the calf was moved. Anniskett and Fischbach spent the night with him, and within about two days he had grown comfortable around them. He was then taken to the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, more than 800 miles away. He was named Annautaq, after Anniskett's late father.

The new home

• About 5 months old and roughly 220 pounds.
• Up to six bottle feedings a day, using a high-fat formula designed to mimic walrus milk.
• A planned 30-day quarantine before introductions to the herd, including walruses Uki, Kaboodle and Garfield.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined he could not be released into the wild, according to SeaWorld's account reported by Laughing Place. SeaWorld Orlando is one of only four U.S. institutions able to house walruses.

"Annautaq's story shows why having specialized marine mammal rehabilitation capacity in Alaska is so important." — Jane Belovarac, Alaska SeaLife Center

Context

Some details, including the non-release decision, come from SeaWorld's and the aquarium's accounts. A rescued, non-releasable calf is a bright spot but not a wild-population fix; Pacific walrus face wider pressures from changing Arctic ice.