The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has wrapped up what officials call its biggest aerial survey of Atlantic walrus in Nunavut waters, photographing walrus haulouts along the Foxe Basin and Hudson Bay–Davis Strait regions to establish updated population baselines.
Scope and scale of the mission
Over a 17-day period in August 2025, researchers flew three De Havilland Twin Otter aircraft and photographed walrus using two different camera lenses. The survey team captured 292,000 photos while flying more than 22,000 kilometres of coastline at an altitude of about 305 metres, according to Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) staff.
Aerial surveys like this aim to produce robust counts of animals that can be compared over time. The DFO team plans to clean and analyse the imagery and complete its findings by the end of the year.
Why the large-scale survey now
Research scientist Cory Matthews outlined three reasons the department undertook the ambitious effort:
- to update walrus population numbers on a schedule of every five to 10 years;
- to survey both the Foxe Basin stock and the Hudson Bay–Davis Strait stock at once, reducing uncertainty from potential movements between areas; and
- to establish baseline numbers ahead of anticipated increases in shipping and industry activity.
“We’re trying to get a really good handle on what the situation looks like now so that we can sort of track whether or not there’s any negative impact,”
Matthews said the stock is currently considered healthy, but the department wants a detailed snapshot to detect any future changes that might be linked to human activity in the region.
Methodology and logistics
The planes were fitted with a glass dome in the belly where a digital camera with either a 35-mm or 55-mm lens hung to photograph animals on the ice and shore. Team members in the aircraft included people from Nunavut communities: the source imagery shows Usaaraq Jari Aariak of Iqaluit and Camille Lavallée of Arctic Bay looking out of a Twin Otter window during the survey.
Photographic surveys at a consistent altitude and using standard lenses are designed to reduce biases in counts, and surveying both stocks together helps address past concerns that walrus might move between the areas and be counted twice or missed entirely.
Local context and potential impacts
Walrus are important to Inuit communities across Nunavut for subsistence, culture and local economies. Baseline data from the survey will inform management decisions and co‑management discussions involving Inuit organisations and federal authorities.
DFO researchers are explicit that one driver for renewed monitoring is the prospect of increased shipping and other industrial activity in Hudson Bay, Davis Strait and adjacent waters. Gathering comprehensive, contemporary data will allow scientists and managers to assess whether any future changes in walrus distribution or abundance correspond with heightened marine traffic.
Key figures from the survey
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Photos taken | 292,000 |
| Flight distance | 22,000 km |
| Survey duration | 17 days |
| Aircraft used | 3 Twin Otters |
| Survey altitude | 305 m |
What comes next
Analysts with DFO will process the extensive image set and publish population estimates once image review and quality control are complete. Those results should clarify the status of the Foxe Basin and Hudson Bay–Davis Strait walrus stocks and provide a benchmark against which future monitoring can be compared.
For communities across the Baffin and Hudson Bay regions, the survey offers an updated scientific view that will feed into management and local discussions about wildlife, subsistence use and the risks and benefits of increasing marine activity in Nunavut waters.
As changes continue across the Arctic — in sea ice, shipping routes and resource interest — regularly updated wildlife data will be an essential tool for policy-makers, managers and Inuit organisations making decisions that affect both people and animals on the land and sea.
