Diving and haul-out patterns of walruses Odobenus rosmarus on Svalbard

Nine male walruses were equipped with dive recording devices in Svalbard to investigate walrus diving and haul-out behaviour in late summer. Dive information on 6,018 dives was collected by 3 satellite linked dive recorders. Additional dive information on 7,769 dives was obtained from 3 time depth recorders. The deepest dive recorded was 67 m, but mean depth of foraging dives was 22.5 m. The longest-lasting dive recorded was 24 min, but mean duration of foraging dives was 6 min. The walruses, on average, spent 56 h in the water followed by 20 h hauled out on land.     

SUMMER DIVING BEHAVIOR OF MALE WALRUSES IN BRISTOL BAY, ALASKA

Pacific walruses ( Odobenus rosmarus divergens ) make trips from ice or land haul-out sites to forage for benthic prey. We describe dive and trip characteristics from time-depth-recorder data collected over a one-month period during summer from four male Pacific walruses in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Dives were classified into four types. Shallow (4 m), short (2.7 min), square-shaped dives accounted for 11% of trip time, and many were probably associated with traveling. Shallow (2 m) and very short (0.5 min) dives composed only 1% of trip time. Deep (41 m), long (7.2 min), square-shaped dives accounted for 46% of trip time and were undoubtedly associated with benthic foraging. V-shaped dives ranged widely in depth, were of moderate duration (4.7 min), and composed 3% of trip time. These dives may have been associated with navigation or exploration of the seafloor for potential prey habitat. Surface intervals between dives were similar among dive types, and generally lasted 1–2 min. Total foraging time was strongly correlated with trip duration and there was no apparent diel pattern of diving in any dive type among animals. We found no correlation between dive duration and postdive surface interval within dive types, suggesting that diving occurred within aerobic dive limits. Trip duration varied considerably within and among walruses (0.3–9.4 d), and there was evidence that some of the very short trips were unrelated to foraging. Overall, walruses were in the water for 76.6% of the time, of which 60.3% was spent diving.     

Population structure and gene flow of the Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) in the eastern Atlantic Arctic based on mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite variation

The population structure of the Atlantic walrus, Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus , was studied using 11 polymorphic microsatellites and restriction fragment length polymorphism detected in the NADH-dehydrogenase ND1, ND2 and ND3/4 segments in mtDNA. A total of 105 walrus samples were analysed from northwest (NW) Greenland, east (E) Greenland, Svalbard and Franz Joseph Land. Two of the 10 haplotypes detected in the four samples were diagnostic for the NW Greenland sample, which implied that the group of walruses in this area is evolutionary distinct from walruses in the other three areas. One individual sampled in E Greenland exhibited a Pacific haplotype, which proved a connection between the Pacific walrus and walruses in eastern Greenland. The Franz Joseph Land, Svalbard and E Greenland samples shared the most common haplotype, indicating very little differentiation at the mtDNA level. Gene flow ( Nm ) estimates among the four areas indicated a very restricted exchange of female genes between NW Greenland and the more eastern Atlantic Arctic samples, and a closer relationship between the three samples composing the eastern Atlantic Arctic. The genetic variation at 11 polymorphic microsatellite loci grouped individuals into three populations, NW Greenland, E Greenland and a common Franz Joseph Land–Svalbard population, which were connected by moderate gene flow.     

Body growth in Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) from Greenland

Morphometric data were collected from 105 Atlantic walruses ( Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus ) in northwestern Greenland in the periods 1977–78 and 1989–91. Of these 21 walruses were subjected to a detailed study on body composition.
The asymptotic maximum standard body length of Atlantic walruses in NW Greenland was 269 cm for females and 314 cm for males. This is similar to Pacific walruses, but significantly longer than Atlantic walruses from Hudson Bay. Despite this, walruses from NW Greenland apparently do not attain the same total body mass as Pacific walruses ( O.r.divergens ).
The asymptotic maximum body weights for walruses in NW Greenland were estimated to be 720 kg for females and 1114 kg for males.
Total body surface area was proportional to the two-thirds power of total body weight.
The percentage proportion of blubber and viscera were both negatively correlated to body mass, while skin and muscles constituted a nearly fixed proportion. On average, blubber constituted 19% of total body mass of adult females, 15% of adult males and 24% of subadults of both genders. The average walrus consisted of 18% blubber, 12% skin, 12% viscera and 58% blood, muscle and skeleton. Muscles were estimated to constitute 44% of total body weight.
Allometric functions for weight of internal organs relative to body mass are presented.     

Haul-out and diving activity of male Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) in NE Greenland

During August-September 1989 and 1990, movements, haul out and dive activity of male Atlantic walruses ( Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus L.) were studied at a terrestrial haul-out site situated in an inshore foraging area in NE Greenland at 76± 30' N. Data were collected from direct observations of a group of about 50 males during August, including walruses that could be individually identified from natural markings, and from tracking of 8 adults equipped with satellite-linked radio transmitters during August-September. In both years, instrumented walruses hauled out for a total of 29.3% of the sampling time. In 1989, when ice floes were available for hauling out, the walruses spent 11% of the time on ice, whereas in 1990, when ice was absent from the study area, they only hauled out on land. Duration of haul-out periods, which did not differ between months or years, averaged 11 h (0.46 d) on ice (S.D. = 5.9, range: 1–29 h, n = 19 periods), and 38 h (1.6 d) on land (S.D. = 11.7, range: 13–64 h, n = 43). The walruses mainly hauled out during the afternoon and evening. Numbers hauling out on land during August were negatively correlated with wind direction, precipitation (rain) and wind-chill. In 1989, the duration of periods of absence from the terrestrial haul-out site (i.e. presumed foraging trips) averaged 206 h or 8.5 d (S.D. = 106.9, range: 48–412 h, n = 13), whereas, in 1990, such trips averaged only 81 h or 3.4 d (S.D. = 37.9, range: 24-156 h, n = 24), reflecting that walruses used the haul-out site more frequently when ice was absent. Direct observations of foraging walruses showed that they were submerged about 81% of the time.     

Pacific Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) Resource Selection in the Northern Bering Sea

The Pacific walrus is a large benthivore with an annual range extending across the continental shelves of the Bering and Chukchi Seas. We used a discrete choice model to estimate site selection by adult radio-tagged walruses relative to the availability of the caloric biomass of benthic infauna and sea ice concentration in a prominent walrus wintering area in the northern Bering Sea (St. Lawrence Island polynya) in 2006, 2008, and 2009. At least 60% of the total caloric biomass of dominant macroinfauna in the study area was composed of members of the bivalve families Nuculidae, Tellinidae, and Nuculanidae. Model estimates indicated walrus site selection was related most strongly to tellinid bivalve caloric biomass distribution and that walruses selected lower ice concentrations from the mostly high ice concentrations that were available to them (quartiles: 76%, 93%, and 99%). Areas with high average predicted walrus site selection generally coincided with areas of high organic carbon input identified in other studies. Projected decreases in sea ice in the St. Lawrence Island polynya and the potential for a concomitant decline of bivalves in the region could result in a northward shift in the wintering grounds of walruses in the northern Bering Sea.     

Diving behaviour and diet of the blue-eyed shag at South Georgia

Summary This paper describes a concurrent investigation of individual variation in diet, diving patterns and performance of blue-eyed shags Phalacrocorax atriceps breeding at South Georgia. Within one day individual shags exhibited one of three foraging strategies: short diving (4 birds, all dives 120 s) and mixed diving (15 birds, predominantly long but with a few short dives). The mean number of dives per day was significantly higher in shags that only made short dives (mean=172.0, SE=43.2) than birds with a mixed diving strategy (mean=40.5, SE=4.7) and birds that made only long dives (mean=30.8, SE=1.8). Diet was assessed using hard remains recovered from pellets regurgitated by the shags. Small nototheniid fish (c. 10 kJ per item) were by far the commonest prey but most pellets contained additional items. The frequency of pellets with additional items of higher energy value than nototheniid fish (10.c. 900 kJ per item), lower energy value (>1–10 kJ per item) and both higher and lower energy items was strikingly similar to the frequency of shags making long, short and both long and short dives respectively. Predicted aerobic dive limits suggested that during long dives, blue-eyed shags were probably sustained by anaerobic metabolism. Models of prey capture rates demonstrated that for both long and short diving, many items must be caught per dive when birds are feeding on prey at the lower end of the energy range. Predicted capture rates for the commonest recorded prey (small fish) differ markedly between the two diving strategies.     

Proportion of higher trophic-level prey in the diet of Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens)

During nutritionally stressful situations, Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) may switch from preying on benthic invertebrates to higher trophic-level prey (HTLP) (e.g., pinnipeds and/or seabirds). We applied a Bayesian mixing model to stable isotope (C and N) data from analyses of various tissues (tongue and lumbar muscle, skin, and liver) to quantify the proportional contribution of HTLP to walruses (n = 293 individuals). The mode contribution of HTLP to walrus diet was ~22 % (±10 %) based on muscle mixing models, which is consistent with results from contaminant studies of Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus), but higher than estimates based on historical stomach content analyses of Pacific walruses. A broader range in the proportion of HTLP (0–60 %) shown by mixing models using stable isotope data from liver and skin of walruses indicated they pursue an opportunistic foraging strategy. Data from the HTLP-consuming walruses were comparable with our stable isotope data of a known “seal-eating” walrus. No significant difference was evident between the estimated contributions of HTLP to the diet of male versus female walruses (P > 0.01). This finding suggests that changes in diet base for walruses are not influenced by the sex of the predator.     

A review of the genetic relationships of Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) east and west of Greenland

Studies of the genetic variation involving allozymes, mitochondrial and nuclear DNA (microsatellites) in walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) were reviewed. In addition, the genetic relationships of a total of 211 Atlantic walruses, O. r. rosmarus, from 5 sampling areas west and east of Greenland were studied using 12 nuclear DNA-microsatellite loci and restriction fragment length polymorphism obtained from the ND1, ND2 and ND3/4 segments of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). At the mtDNA level, no divergence was observed among the three sampling areas east of Greenland (i.e. East Greenland, Svalbard and Franz Josef Land), whereas areas west of Greenland (i.e. Northwest and West Greenland) showed some differentiation. The genetic variation at the microsatellite loci grouped the individuals into four sub-populations: Northwest Greenland, West Greenland, East Greenland and a common Svalbard-Franz Josef Land sub-population. A significant correlation between genetic distance and geographic distance between the sampling areas (isolation-by-distance effect) was detected, especially at the mtDNA level. At a small-scale phylo-geographical level, the mtDNA data indicated that Atlantic walruses have diverged into two major groups: one northwest (i.e. in the North Water) and one east of Greenland (i.e. an East Greenland-Svalbard-Franz Josef Land group), whereas the haplotype distribution in the West Greenland sample reflected a mixture of both these groups. The microsatellite data supported a general grouping of walruses to the west and east of Greenland.     

DURATION OF STEREOTYPED UNDERWATER VOCAL DISPLAYS BY MALE ATLANTIC WALRUSES IN RELATION TO AEROBIC DIVE LIMIT

During the breeding season from January to mid-April, adult male Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) dive repeatedly for an average duration of 4–6 min and give stereotyped underwater vocal displays. Between dives, they surface for 1–2 min, take 4–6 breaths, and give stereotyped vocalizations between breaths. Male walruses vocalize in the presence of groups of females and calves, young adult males, or by themselves as lone singers. This pattern is repeated throughout the breeding season and can be maintained for extended periods, sometimes exceeding 48 h. The prolonged underwater vocal displays of male walruses seem possible because the animals do not exceed the aerobic dive limit (ADL), estimated to be 9.8 min for a 1,100-kg animal, nor do they exceed the behavioral ADL of 7.9 min, determined from the histogram of dives for males singing alone. The number of breaths taken after dives and the postdive surface times remained fairly constant despite dive duration, suggesting that the walruses remained within their aerobic dive limits. The duration of most dives made by displaying males vocalizing alone during the breeding season, and dive duration of walruses feeding for protracted periods outside the breeding season, are both roughly half the estimated ADL.     

Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens):Differential prey digestion and diet

Stomach content data from 798 Pacific walruses ( Odobenus rosmarus divergens ) collected during 1952–1991 were analyzed using a method that evaluates the stage of digestion of prey remains. Non-molluscan prey taxa were not well represented in previous interpretations of walrus diet due to digestion biases. Stomach contents least affected by digestion (fresh stomachs) contained more prey taxa than stomachs of an unknown or more digested state. Bivalves, gastropods, and polychaete worms were the most frequent prey items in both the Bering and Chukchi seas, although bivalves occurred more frequently in stomachs from the Bering Sea and gastropods occurred more frequently in stomachs from the Chukchi Sea. Male and female walruses consumed essentially the same prey when in the same location. Using only fresh stomachs collected between 1975 and 1985, there was no significant difference between the proportion that contained mostly bivalves and the proportion that contained non-bivalve prey items. Earlier interpretations of a change in walrus diet in this period compared to the prior two decades may have been due to digestion as well as sampling biases. Current climatic changes may affect walrus's access to diverse, productive shallow water feeding areas.     

GROWTH AND SEXUAL DIMORPHISM OF ATLANTIC WALRUSES (ODOBENUS ROSMARUS ROSMARUS) IN FOXE BASIN, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, CANADA

Growth of Atlantic walruses ( Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus ) was investigated using morphological data collected in association with Inuit subsistence walrus hunts. Four growth models were examined. The growth parameters of a constrained Richards model were used to quantify growth and to test for sexual dimorphism. The asymptotic length of male walruses (315.2 cm ± 3.8 (SE), n = 103) was significantly larger ( t = 7.21, df = 191, P < 0.05) than the asymptotic length of females (276.6 cm ± 3.4, n = 90). Sexual size dimorphism in adults was due to a longer growth period and a faster growth rate in males. The predictive equation relating mass ( M , kg) to standard length ( SL , cm) was: Log₁₀ M = -3.74 + 2.68(Log₁₀ SL ), n = 25, r ²= 0.98. There were no significant differences in the size of male walruses from Foxe Basin collected in the 1950s and this study. There were too few data to compare females. There were no significant differences in size between walruses sampled in Greenland and Foxe Basin in the 1980s and 1990s. Foxe Basin walruses were significantly larger than walruses sampled in northern Hudson Bay in the 1950s. Female Atlantic walruses sampled in Foxe Basin were larger than female Pacific walruses ( Odobenus rosmarus divergens ) sampled in Alaska.     

Body size of male Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) from Svalbard

Morphometric data are given for 41 adult male Atlantic walruses ( Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) immobilized at Svalbard. Total body weight ranged from 960 to 1450 kg. Standard body length ranged from 258 to 380 cm, while curvilinear tusk length ranged from 17 to 65 cm. Immobilized animals were selected for their large size. The sample is therefore biased towards larger animals. Based on regression equations developed for walruses caught in Greenland, the weights of Svalbard walruses were estimated from standard body length and axillary girth. Estimated weights ranged from 632 to 1883 kg. The present data suggest that Atlantic walruses at Svalbard can attain the same body size as Pacific ( O. r. divergens ) and Laptev walruses (O. r. laptevi).     

Towards a Better Understanding of the Effects of UV on Atlantic Walruses,Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus: A Study Combining Histological Data with Local Ecological Knowledge

Walruses, Odobenus rosmarus, play a key role in the Arctic ecosystem, including northern Indigenous communities, which are reliant upon walruses for aspects of their diet and culture. However, walruses face varied environmental threats including rising sea-water temperatures and decreasing ice cover. An underappreciated threat may be the large amount of solar ultraviolet radiation (UV) that continues to reach the Arctic as a result of ozone loss. UV has been shown to negatively affect whales. Like whales, walrus skin is unprotected by fur, but in contrast, walruses spend long periods of time hauled-out on land. In this study, we combined the results of histological analyses of skin sections from five Atlantic walruses, Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus, collected in Nunavik (Northern Quebec, Canada) with qualitative data obtained through the interviews of 33 local walrus hunters and Inuit Elders. Histological analyses allowed us to explore UV-induced cellular lesions and interviews with experienced walrus hunters and Elders helped us to study the incidences and temporal changes of UV-induced gross lesions in walruses. At the microscopic scale, we detected a range of skin abnormalities consistent with UV damage. However, currently such UV effects do not seem to be widely observed at the whole-animal level (i.e., absence of skin blistering, erythema, eye cataract) by individuals interviewed. Although walruses may experience skin damage under normal everyday UV exposure, the long-term data from local walrus hunters and Inuit Elders did not report a relation between the increased sun radiation secondary to ozone loss and walrus health.     

Antibodies to marine caliciviruses in the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens Illiger)

Sera from 155 Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens Illiger), sampled in the Chukchi Sea during the summer of 1983, were tested for serum neutralizing (SN) antibodies to six marine calicivirus serotypes. Serotypes tested included San Miguel sea lion virus (SMSV) types 1, 5, 8, and 10, previously isolated from northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus Linné) in the Bering Sea; walrus calicivirus (WCV), previously isolated from walrus feces collected off sea ice in the Chukchi Sea; and Tillamook calicivirus (TCV), a bovine isolate from Oregon of suspected marine origin. No antibodies were found to SMSV-1, SMSV-10, or TCV. Antibodies to SMSV-5 were found in two animals (titers 1:20 and 1:160); antibodies to SMSV-8 were found in four animals (all 1:20); and antibodies to WCV were found in one animal (titer 1:40). Antibodies to WCV have been found in the Pacific walrus previously; however, this represents the first report of antibodies to any of the SMSV serotypes in this marine mammal.     

Identification of motivational state in adult male Atlantic walruses inferred from changes in movement and diving behavior

Motivational changes in animals are likely to be detectable retrospectively through observed changes in behavior. Breeding represents one of the strongest motivational states in mammals, and its timing is often tied to a seasonally optimal suite of environmental and physical conditions. While seasonal changes in behavior may be directly observable in some species, for others that breed cryptically or in difficult to access areas, detecting behavioral changes may only be feasible using data collected remotely. Herein, we explore whether behavioral changes can be used to infer motivational state for a wild, free‐ and wide‐ranging high arctic marine mammal, adult male Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus). Using satellite‐relayed location and dive data from 23 adult male walruses instrumented in the Svalbard Archipelago, we identify seasonal movement to discrete geographic regions deep into winter pack ice. Adult male walrus diving behavior underwent marked seasonal movements between geographical areas that coincided with changes in light regime. At offshore wintering sites adult males (n = 4) shifted from a summer pattern of deep, long benthic dives to much shallower diving. Some males performed similar shallow, winter dive behavior at coastal locations (n = 12) suggesting that breeding might also occur around the coast of Svalbard. However, interpretation of behavioral changes of these coastal individuals was challenging. The presumed breeding sites at the winter off‐shore locations were situated in areas where polynyas are known to occur, making them a predictable resource even if they are located deep inside the winter pack‐ice. We demonstrate that remotely collected behavioral data can be used to identify seasonally explicit changes in the behavior of cryptic species.     

Diving behaviour and energetics in breeding little penguins (Eudyptula minor)

We present data on the diving behaviour and the energetics of breeding little penguins in Tasmania, Australia. Using an 18 m long still water canal in conjunction with respirometry, we determined the energy requirements while diving. Using electronic devices measuring dive depth or swimming speed, we investigated the foraging behaviour at sea. Cost of Transport was calculated to be minimal at the speed the birds prefer at sea (1.8 m/s) and averaged 11.1 J/kg/m (power requirements at that speed: 20.0 W/kg). Metabolic rate of little penguins resting in water was found to be 8.5 W/kg. The externally-attached devices had no significant influence on the energy expenditure.
Foraging trips can be divided into four distinct phases with different diving behaviours. A mean of 500 dives was executed per foraging trip lasting about 18 hours with 60% of this time being spent swimming. The total distance travelled averaged 73 km per day, although foraging range was about 12km. Mean swimming speed of little penguins at sea was 1.8 m/s, maximum swimming speed was 3.3 m/s. More than 50% of all dives had maxima not exceeding 2 m. Maximum depth reached was 27 m. Mean dive duration was 21 s. There were inter-sex differences in diving behaviour as well as changes in foraging behaviour over the breeding period. Aerobic dive limits (ADL) in the wild were estimated between 42 and 50 s. From the swim canal experiments we derived an ADL of 44 s. Total oxygen stores were calculated to be 45 ml O₂/kg. Only 2% of all dives exceeded the ADL. FMRs at sea were calculated to be between 1280 and 1500 kJ/kg/d according to chick size. The yearly food requirements of a breeding little penguin amount to 114 kg.     

Migration of Walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) in the Svalbard and Franz Josef Land area

Thirty-four walruses ( Odobenus rosmarus ) were fitted with satellite transmitters (PTTs) from 1990 to 1993 in order to study the distribution of the population in the Svalbard area. Twenty-eight were caught at Svalbard and six at Franz Josef Land. All were males except one female caught at Franz Josef Land. At Svalbard, one walrus was caught on the west coast of Spitsbergen, while the others were caught at southern Edgeøya. All walruses were caught in the period from mid-July to early September. The PTTs provided information on location for periods ranging from 0 to 212 days. The results of the satellite trackings show that there is a migration of male walruses between most of the walrus areas at Svalbard and Franz Josef Land. In particular, it seems that migration of males from southern Edgeøya to Kvitøya, Viktoria Island, and Franz Josef Land is common. The walruses winter in the southern parts of Svalbard, as well as within the winter pack-ice of north-eastern Svalbard, which contains numerous open leads. The only walrus at Franz Josef Land that was followed to mid-winter stayed in the area and therefore supports the view that walruses also winter in that area. It is assumed that the majority of walruses at Svalbard are males from one common Svalbard-Franz Josef Land stock. The walrus in the Svalbard-Franz Josef Land area today belong to a recovering population. Their current distribution and behaviour may therefore differ from that found in Svalbard in former times.     

Dive bout organization in the Chinstrap penguin at seal island, antarctica

Diving behavior of 2 breeding Chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica) was studied focusing first and primarily on dive bouts rather than dives themselves. Analysis of dive bout organization revealed (1) though there are differences between solitary dives and dive bouts in dive duration and dive depth, the first dives of dive bouts do not differ from solitary dives in the dive parameters, (2) mean dive duration during bout correlates positively to both mean dive depth during bout and mean surface interval during bout, while number of dives during bout negatively correlates to both cost (consumed energy) and duration of a dive cycle during bout. These findings suggest the following possibilities on foraging behavior of penguins: (1) their decision to repeat diving depends on the result of the first dive at a site, and the first dives of bouts would tend to be searching or evaluating dives though they would be also successful foraging dives, (2) they repeat diving at a foraging patch until foraging efficiency decrease to a threshold of diminishing returns.     

Faecal DNA amplification in Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens)

Dietary information is critical for assessing the population status of seals, sea lions and walruses—and is determined for most species of pinnipeds using non-invasive methods. However, diets of walruses continue to be described from the stomach contents of dead individuals. Our goal was to assess whether DNA could be extracted from the faeces of Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) collected at haulout sites, and whether potential prey species or taxa could be amplified from that DNA. We extracted DNA from 70 faecal samples collected from ice pans in the Bering Sea during the spring of 2008 and 2009 (with between 4.6 and 308.9 ng/μl of DNA in every sample). We also extracted DNA from 12 potential prey species or taxa collected by bottom-grabs in 2009 to identify positive controls for primers and to test the ability of previously published taxon-specific and species-specific primers to correctly identify the prey using conventional PCR. We tested primers that successfully amplified DNA from the tissue of at least one potential prey species or taxon on all 70 walrus faecal samples. We found that two sets of primers successfully amplified many of the potential prey species or taxa using DNA from their tissue, and that one of these primer sets produced positive amplification in 4 of the 70 faecal samples. The band size that was produced for prey organisms and in the faecal samples was consistent with expectations, although prey identities were not verified with sequencing. Our pilot study demonstrates that DNA can be successfully extracted and amplified from walrus faeces, providing a stepping stone towards describing the diets of walruses from faecal DNA.