12/29/2023 0 Comments Wally the walrus![]() 'We really do hope he decides to go home, although of course he will not be aware of climate change and what awaits him. Ms Croce added: 'When the weather gets worse he tends to go out to sea for a few days where he will feed and he will return when it gets better. Seal Rescue Ireland had installed two floating pontoons and an inflatable boat for Wally to haul himself out on, but he had not been seen since the weekend when the heatwave ended and remained absent for nearly a month until his sighting in Iceland. 'If people are startling him and stressing him, it could cause him to cause damage to property.' 'This is a huge animal, he's 800 kilos. And so he could hurt someone or he could hurt himself, if he's scared. 'The biggest things are to maintain safe distance of at least 100 metres, and to observe quietly,' Ms Croce added. His sighting in Bilbao in northern Spain is believed to be the farthest south a walrus has ever been seen. The lonely walrus is believed to be from Svalbard, north of Norway, and has been on a 4,000km solo trip for months.įrom a first sighting off the south-west coast of Ireland, then on to Wales, Cornwall, France, the Isles of Scilly and Bilbao, Wally has left a trail of destruction and a couple of sunk boats in his wake. 'Due to climate change, we're losing huge amounts of sea ice, and so they're losing habitats.' 'You know, animals like walruses and polar bears, ringed seals, hooded seals, these are all species that rely on sea ice. 'I would certainly suspect that sea ice melting due to climate change has displaced him,' Ms Croce said. It is believed Wally's adventure could be linked to climate change. 'Walruses are social creatures and Wally is no exception so we are hoping he may finally decide it is time to go home.'īut as autumn approaches, marine experts predicted the 800kg juvenile male (pictured in Tenby, Wales, on May 17) will return to the chillier waters of the Arctic and reunite with other walruses ![]() 'This is the season that the ice pack grows and extends further south and when walruses gather in the Arctic. 'Wally is a little unpredictable but we are hoping that he will head north for winter,' Melanie Croce, executive director of Seal Rescue Ireland, which is monitoring the walrus' movements, said. In the last couple of months, Wally has been a frequent sight among the pontoons and boats in the harbours and bays along the south west coast of Cork.īut as autumn approaches, marine experts predicted the 800kg male will return to the chillier waters of the Arctic and reunite with other walruses. Wally became world famous this summer as he soaked up the rays across Wales, Ireland, France, Spain and the Isles of Scilly as he embarked on his wild adventure. 'Please always remember to give wildlife space, and put their safety and welfare first! This success is a great opportunity to highlight the immense pressures that our marine mammals face on a daily basis from human disturbance.' 'Thanks to his ability to feed and rest, he has successfully made the long stretch and will hopefully reunite with his own kind again soon. It added: 'We are so grateful to the many members of the public who have shown support and love for this walrus by giving him a safe place to rest and gather his strength while visiting our shores ahead of this magnificent journey. The announcement came after people became concerned Wally had died after 22 days without any confirmed sightings of the marine mammal, as scientists predicted was on route to his Arctic homeland, which is likely to be Greenland or Norway Now, Seal Rescue Ireland has confirmed the legendary walrus was sighted in Iceland on Sunday, a staggering 900km away from Wally's last known location in West Cork, as he seems to be on route to the Arctic. The four-year-old whiskery gentleman started out on his tour in March, and when he fancied a pit-stop, he'd haul his 800kg bulk onto the nearest motorboat and take a nap - sometimes for several days.īut there were concerns Wally had died after 22 days without any confirmed sightings of the marine mammal and a carcass washed up on the North Devon coast, after scientists predicted he was on route to his Arctic homeland, which is likely to be Greenland or Norway. The wandering walrus captured the imagination of wildlife lovers around the world with his European travels this summer, which included stops in France, Spain and the Isles of Scilly. The world's most famous walrus has been spotted alive and well in Iceland, almost a month since he was last seen off Ireland's southwesterly coast.
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