Walrus resting on ice southwest of Gambell, AK on May 9, 2025. Photo courtesy of John Kulowiyi.
The Sea Ice for Walrus Outlook (SIWO) season launched on March 21, bringing weekly forecasts and local sea ice and hunting reports to Bering Strait communities, including Wales, Shishmaref, Diomede, Brevig Mission/Port Clarence, Nome, Gambell, and Savoonga.
Early May is a critical time for Bering Sea hunters as sea ice opens up and marine animals move through the region. SIWO hunter reports are rich with photos, observations, and stories from the ice.
Weekly SIWO outlooks are published every Friday throughout the spring sea ice season on the new SIWO Network Page and on the SIWO Facebook page. The full archive of outlooks from 2010 to 2024 remains available on the ARCUS SIWO webpage, although it is no longer being updated.
Due to an executive order, many SIWO activities for the 2025 season are currently on hold. However, basic weekly outlooks will continue through mid-June. We look forward to resuming the full range of SIWO efforts—such as project coordination through ARCUS, weekly video updates, a SIWO YouTube channel, youth observer programs, and support for observer travel—once funding becomes available.