Photo by acacia.johnson / A male Pacific walrus wallows off the shore of Round Island, Alaska. This remote island in the Bering Sea—known as Qayassiq, or "place to go in a kayak" in Yupik—is home to thousands of male walruses that come to rest on its shores every summer. Since 1960, the island has been protected as part of the Walrus Islands State Game Sanctuary, where a permit program allows summer visitors to camp on the island in the heart of walrus habitat. It also remains an important hunting ground for Yupik communities who coordinate a subsistence hunt every fall, continuing a tradition that has taken place here for over 5,700 years. Tap the link in bio to read more of this story. Follow me at acacia.johnson for more about the experience of spending time with these animals. #walrus #alaska #walrusislands #roundisland #qayassiq