Walrus spotted on Scots island hundreds of miles from home
A WALRUS has turned up on a Scottish island, hundreds of miles from its normal home in the Arctic.
The animal was spotted on the shoreline of Sanday in Orkney yesterday. It was photographed between Sandquoy and Tafts.
It was first seen on Thursday off neighbouring North Ronaldsay where a walrus turned up five years – almost to the day – earlier.
Eyewitnesses said it appeared to be in good health and happy to be the centre of attention.
The latest Orkney walrus was first seen by Lewis Hooper, of the North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory and Guest House, who is more used to logging birds.
“Without doubt the highlight was an awesome, massive and unbelievable to behold Walrus which was initially seen by Lewis Hooper as it slowly cruised past The Lurn, close inshore, followed by a big flock of gulls before hauling out for a couple of minutes on a small beach near where we ring Storm Petrels,” said the observatory.
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It does seem to be in OK health and certainly has plenty of battle scars which suggests it has been in a few scraps. A few people have suggested it might be quite a young one because its tusks aren’t as big as some you see.
“You do get seals and sometimes killer whales around here, which people come and have a look at, but never a walrus.”
A walrus was spotted in Orkney at Point of Grory on Eynhallow in August, 1986. Before that there was a possible sighting in the Pentland Firth in 1984.
Ringed seals and bearded seals, usually found the Arctic, have also made the journey south after becoming disorientated, often as a result of the movement of ice floes.
Walrus populations are concentrated around the North Pole and Arctic Ocean areas – Siberia, Canada, Greenland and Alaska – living in shallow waters above the continental shelves. They live to about 20-30 years old in the wild.