Endangered Atlantic walruses have their own calendar, and every year by the end of August, they swim to the mouth of the Tiutey-Yakha River to collectively wait for winter and ice. Currently, several dozen walruses are already on the coast of the Kara Sea on the Yamal Peninsula — out of the several thousand that are yet to arrive. The Tiutey-Yakha state nature reserve, spanning 10,000 hectares, was established last year at the site of a walrus haul-out discovered in 2019 — the only mainland haul-out for Atlantic walruses listed in the Red Book. A significant portion of the Kara Sea walrus population gathers at the mouth of the Tiutey-Yakha River before winter begins, where they feed and rest. The Yamal walruses have survived several ice ages in the area, then stopped resting on Yamal’s Kara Sea coast, but returned a few years ago. The main task for scientists is to determine the annual life cycle and migration routes of these animals. For this, satellite tags have been attached to some walruses, allowing researchers to track their movements for two to three months. This year, scientists plan to upgrade the technology to gather data over a longer period: new devices are planned to be attached to the walruses' tusks. This phase is expected to begin in October. "The tusk tags will last longer, allowing us to study the entire annual life cycle of Yamal walruses: where they winter, where they migrate, and where their birthing grounds are. The most important task is to understand their breeding areas. This could lead to the formation of a new protected area, possibly at the federal level," said Vitaly Borisyuk, Deputy Head of the Wildlife Protection Department of the Yamal-Nenets Department of Natural Resources and Ecology.