The walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) is an immense Arctic marine mammal found across the shallow waters of the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas. This unique pinniped is one of the largest in the world, with its sheer size suggesting formidable power. Adult male Pacific walruses commonly weigh between 800 and 1,700 kilograms, with some exceeding 2,000 kilograms (over two tons). Even the smaller Atlantic subspecies averages around 900 kilograms for a mature male. This considerable bulk is the foundation for the walrus’s impressive physical capabilities.
Tusk Mechanics and Power
The most visible measure of a walrus’s strength is its pair of prominent tusks, which are elongated upper canine teeth. These ivory structures can grow up to one meter (39 inches) long in males. Their composition of dentine provides incredible strength and slight flexibility, which is necessary for their varied uses. The tusks also contain a sensitive nerve core, allowing the walrus to receive tactile feedback when put under pressure.
Walruses use this specialized anatomy as a powerful tool for navigating the Arctic landscape, a function that gave the animal its Latin name, meaning “tooth walker.” To pull their massive bodies out of the water and onto ice floes, walruses drive their tusks into the ice, using them as ice picks to anchor and leverage their weight. This “hauling out” technique requires tremendous upper body and neck muscle power to lift their multi-ton body.
The tusks also serve as formidable weapons in social and defensive situations. Males use them extensively during the breeding season to establish dominance, with larger tusks signaling superior strength and social standing. When defending against predators, the tusks inflict deep, penetrating wounds that can be fatal to an attacker. Walruses also use their tusks to create and maintain breathing holes in pack ice, allowing them to access air while foraging beneath the frozen surface.
Locomotion and Massive Body Strength
Beyond the specialized power of the tusks, the walrus possesses immense muscular strength required for daily movement and survival. The animal is a powerful and agile swimmer, capable of propelling its two-ton body through frigid waters at speeds up to 35 kilometers per hour (22 mph). They achieve this speed and endurance using powerful, sinuous movements, with the hind flippers providing the main thrust.
The strength of their swimming muscles also supports remarkable diving capabilities, which are essential for their feeding strategy as benthic feeders. Walruses commonly dive to depths of 10 to 100 meters to forage on the seafloor, though they have been recorded reaching depths exceeding 500 meters. This deep diving requires significant cardiovascular strength and breath-holding capacity, with recorded durations of up to 30 minutes underwater.
On land and ice, the walrus uses its powerful flippers to support and move its colossal weight. Unlike true seals, the walrus can rotate its hind flippers forward beneath its body, allowing it to move on all fours. This unique maneuverability requires considerable flipper and core muscle strength to pivot and support their bulk. This enables them to move with surprising speed for short distances, sometimes matching the running pace of a human.
Comparing Walrus Strength to Other Animals
The walrus’s power is perhaps best understood when compared to the other large mammals of the Arctic, particularly its main predators. An adult male walrus easily outweighs a mature male polar bear, often possessing three times the body mass. This sheer size provides a significant advantage in any physical confrontation. The walrus’s initial defense is this size, coupled with a thick layer of blubber and skin (up to 4 centimeters thick) that helps absorb or deflect the bites and claws of a bear.
While a polar bear may be faster and more aggressive on land, the walrus is substantially more powerful and agile in the water, its true element. In the water, a walrus can use its speed and tusks to fatally injure a bear, turning the tables on its predator. Among all pinnipeds, the walrus is the third largest, exceeded only by the two species of elephant seals. This places the walrus in a category of immense strength, distinguished by its size, unique tusk weaponry, and the raw muscle power needed to maneuver its enormous frame.