Walruses in Svalbard, Norway Sep 30, 2024

Walruses in Svalbard, Norway

What"s the perfect thing to do under the midnight sun? If you"re a walrus, the answer might be taking a quick dip with your crew, chowing down on clams and mussels, and then sunbathing on a beach or ice floe. Welcome to Svalbard, an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean halfway between Norway and the North Pole. Our homepage stars were photographed in the waters off Spitsbergen, the largest of the archipelago"s nine islands, where male and female herds are found year-round. Male walruses can reach almost 12 feet long and weigh more than 2,600 pounds. During mating season, they use this girth to fight among themselves for dominance over groups of females, called harems.

© AWL Images/Danita Delimont

palette

Today in History

Sep 30, 2018Aw shucks, it’s oyster season in Galway
Sep 30, 2019Wheels up in Beijing
Sep 30, 2020All eyes on moths
Sep 30, 2021Global commerce in motion
Sep 30, 2022Southern right whale
Sep 30, 2023Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Sep 30, 2025Koala in the Great Otway National Park, Australia

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Nov 21, 20222022 FIFA World Cup
Jun 28, 2025Pride 2025
Mar 14, 2024Happy Pi Day!
Apr 3, 2026Armbrug bridge, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Feb 2, 2023Groundhog Day
Mar 20, 2026Spring equinox
May 9, 2019An endless journey
Sep 5, 2025Pacific Park, Santa Monica State Beach, California
Aug 24, 2019Get the bear facts
Feb 21, 2019Sounds of Bach come to Bath
Mar 11, 2026Peach trees in Cieza, Murcia, Spain
Mar 27, 2024World Theater Day
Nov 13, 2021Ronda, Spain
Jan 6, 2021Travels to the Oregon deep
Feb 19, 2018Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC
Nov 30, 2024Saint Andrews Day
May 5, 2026Cinco de Mayo
Sep 10, 2023Grandparents Day
Jul 22, 2021Singing praises of the oceans
Jul 13, 2023International Rock Day
Mar 15, 2025Ides of March
Nov 14, 2024Manarola, Cinque Terre National Park, Liguria, Italy
Oct 19, 2025Apples ready for harvest in Minnesota
Dec 17, 2020Pining for spring
Jun 25, 2026Buildings on Grand-Place Square in Brussels, Belgium
Oct 20, 2019Meet the slowest flirt in the animal world
Nov 20, 2021World Children s Day
Jun 14, 2018Celebrating Flag Day: ‘O long may it wave’
Mar 29, 2021Rising up from the black sand like rock gods
Apr 17, 2024Black bear cub emerging into spring