Rescued walrus calf saved by intern and biologist
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The gist
A 19-year-old intern and a USGS biologist rescued an orphaned 5-month-old walrus calf on an Alaska beach.
The calf, Annautaq, now lives at SeaWorld Orlando and cannot return to the wild.
Background
Annautaq is an orphaned 5-month-old Pacific walrus calf weighing 220 pounds, named by intern Violet Anniskett with the Iñupiaq word for "axe." Anniskett, a 19-year-old wildlife research intern, spotted him on an Alaska beach beside three dead walruses with polar bear prints around, after heavy surf drove his herd back to sea. She and U.S. Geological Survey biologist Tony Fischbach got the calf to follow them to shelter during USGS research in Alaska. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ruled he could never return to the wild because a walrus calf needs his mother's milk for his whole first year, so experts placed him at SeaWorld Orlando.
How it unfolded
- Sep 11, 2026Violet Anniskett spotted the 5-month-old calf on an Alaska beach beside three dead walruses, with polar bear prints all around.
- Sep 2026Surf drove his herd back to sea near Point Lay, Alaska, leaving him behind; Anniskett and USGS biologist Tony Fischbach found and rescued him during USGS research.
- Oct 23, 2026Fox Weather reported the orphaned calf was relocated to SeaWorld Orlando.
- Oct 24, 2026Annautaq found a new home at SeaWorld Orlando after a 4,000-mile journey.
- Nov 8, 2026The New York Times published a story on the rescue; a Three Shores Today post said Annautaq met fellow rescued calf Uki for the first time this week.
- Nov 9, 2026The Democrat-Gazette 'In the news' item quoted Anniskett on the rescue.
Key terms
- USGS
- A U.S. federal science agency in the Interior Department that studies biology, geography, geology, and hydrology and makes maps.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- A U.S. federal agency in the Interior Department that manages fish, wildlife, and natural habitats.
- Iñupiaq
- A group of Alaska Native Inuit people whose traditional territory spans northern and northwestern Alaska.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Official
- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ruled Annautaq could never return to the wild because a walrus calf needs his mother's milk for his whole first year.
- Expert
- Experts from the walrus care community evaluated his long-term needs and decided he would be placed at SeaWorld Orlando to grow up alongside other walruses.
- Support
- Anniskett said of getting the calf to follow them to shelter: "it just felt like a connection," and he became playful and snuggled into Fischbach's sleeping bag.
Still unverified
A YouTube video states its footage is illustrative of the species and is not footage of Annautaq himself.