Walruses eat mostly clams and other shellfish that live on and in the sea floor. Snails, worms, soft-shelled crabs, shrimp and sea cucumbers are on the menu too, says the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. It sometimes eats a seal or seabird. It finds food with its whiskers, not its tusks, and sucks clams from their shells.
A walrus is huge. Adult Pacific walrus bulls grow to 2.1–3.7 m (7–12 ft) long and weigh about 2 tonnes (2 tons), says the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Cows reach 1.5–3 m (5–10 ft) and about 1 tonne. Feeding a body that big on animals the size of your thumb takes a lot of clams.
What do walruses eat? The seafloor menu
| Food | How often | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Clams and other bivalves | Main food | ADFG; SeaWorld |
| Snails, worms, soft-shelled crabs, shrimp, sea cucumbers | Regular | ADFG |
| Fish such as polar cod | Occasional | SeaWorld |
| Seals (live or dead) | Occasional, often when other food is short | ADFG; SeaWorld |
| Seabirds | Occasional | ADFG |
SeaWorld’s walrus guide says walruses “prefer molluscs – mainly bivalves such as clams”. Bivalves are shellfish with two hinged shells, like clams and cockles. They stay put in the mud, so a walrus doesn’t have to chase its dinner.
How much does a walrus eat in a day?
A walrus eats about 3 to 6% of its body weight a day, according to SeaWorld. For a 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) female, that is roughly 30 to 60 kg (66 to 132 lb) of food. For a 2-tonne bull, it can be double that. SeaWorld says a walrus may eat 3,000 to 6,000 clams in one feeding session. Walruses usually fill their stomachs twice a day.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Food per day | About 3–6% of body weight |
| Clams in one feeding session | Up to 3,000–6,000 |
| Usual feeding depth | 10–50 m (33–164 ft) |
| Deepest regular feeding | About 80 m (262 ft) |
| Adult male weight | About 2 tonnes (2 tons) |
| Adult female weight | About 1 tonne (1 ton) |
Food and depth figures are from SeaWorld; body sizes are from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The daily share is an estimate, and it changes with season, age and whether a female is feeding a calf.
How do walruses find and eat clams?
Walruses feed in the dark and murky water near the sea floor, so they can’t rely on their eyes. They feel for food instead.
Whiskers
A walrus’s snout is covered in stiff, sensitive whiskers, called vibrissae. It sweeps its snout along the bottom and feels for the shape of shells. The US Marine Mammal Commission says walruses “rely mostly on their whiskers” to find prey on the sea floor.
Water jets and flippers
Some clams hide deep in the mud. SeaWorld says a walrus can take a mouthful of water and squirt a strong jet at the sea floor to wash the clams out. It also uses its front flippers to fan away sand.
Suction
Walruses don’t chew. A walrus sucks the soft foot and siphon out of a clam and swallows it whole, says SeaWorld. Its tongue works like a piston in a pump, pulling back to make a strong vacuum inside its mouth. Empty shells pile up on the sea floor behind a feeding walrus.
Do walruses use their tusks to eat?
No. This is a common mix-up. Walruses do not dig clams with their tusks, says the Marine Mammal Commission. The tusks are long upper canine teeth that keep growing throughout life, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Walruses use their tusks for other jobs. They hook them onto ice to haul their heavy bodies out of the water. Males also use them to show off and to fight other males.
Do walruses eat seals or penguins?
Walruses sometimes eat seals, says the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. SeaWorld notes they may eat seal carcasses when food is scarce. Seals are still a small part of the diet for most walruses.
Walruses never eat penguins. Walruses live in the Arctic, and penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere, so they never meet in the wild. The same goes for polar bears; read do polar bears eat penguins? to see why.
How is sea ice loss changing what walruses eat?
Pacific walruses feed in the shallow Bering and Chukchi Seas. They like to rest on floating sea ice between dives, right above their feeding grounds. Since 2007, summer sea ice in the Chukchi Sea has retreated to areas too deep for walruses to reach the bottom, says the Marine Mammal Commission.
Walruses now rest on beaches in huge groups called haulouts. They have to swim farther to feed, which burns more energy. Crowds on land also risk stampedes, which can crush young walruses.
The Pacific walrus population is still large. Using satellite images from 2017 to 2023, researchers estimated at least 250,000 walruses, the Marine Mammal Commission reports. In 2017 the US Fish and Wildlife Service decided the walrus did not need listing under the Endangered Species Act. The IUCN lists the walrus as Vulnerable (2016 assessment) because of the loss of sea ice.
Walruses share their icy home with polar bears, which sometimes hunt them. Find out more in what polar bears eat. To compare another big seal’s menu, see what elephant seals eat.
Frequently asked questions
Do walruses eat fish?
Sometimes, but not much. SeaWorld says walruses occasionally eat fish such as polar cod. They are slow swimmers built for the sea floor, not for chasing fast fish. Clams and other shellfish, which can't swim away, make up most of their food.
How deep do walruses dive for food?
Most walrus feeding happens 10 to 50 m (33 to 164 ft) down, and they rarely feed deeper than about 80 m (262 ft), according to SeaWorld. That is why walruses need shallow seas near land or sea ice. Deep ocean water puts the clams out of reach.
What eats walruses?
Adult walruses are big enough that few animals can attack them. Polar bears and killer whales are the main natural predators, and they usually go for calves or young walruses. People in Arctic communities also hunt walruses for food, which is legal for Alaska Natives under US law.
How long do walruses live?
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game says walruses can live up to 40 years. They grow slowly, and females usually have one calf at a time. Calves stay with their mothers for a long time and learn where and how to find food.
Sources
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) species profile.
- US Marine Mammal Commission. Pacific walrus.
- SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment (United Parks & Resorts). All about the walrus: diet and eating habits.
Sources checked 15 September 2026.
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