photo: Heather Thorkelson via flickr

In an event that the US Geological Survey is saying is "directly related to the lack of sea ice" in the Chukchi Sea, tens of thousands of walruses have come ashore in northwest Alaska. The AP quotes USGS biologist Anthony Fischbach as saying they "stretch out for one mile or more. This is just packed shoulder to shoulder."

The good news in this is that Fischbach says there should be enough food for them all, even though he doesn't know how the walruses will remain ashore.

Though not normal historically--walrus females normally rest on sea ice while raising their young--walruses have come ashore en masse in 2007 and 2009.

For a really good overview of the conditions of melting ice in the Arctic, and how summer sea ice is decreasing in both extent and volume, check out this video (via Climate Progress):