A walrus grabbed headlines when it was spotted far away from its natural home, Arctic waters, near the coast of Cornwall for the first time. It seemed to be the same walrus that was earlier spotted in Ireland and then Wales. Nathaniel Barry, photographer and safari guide, who first sighted and captured the walrus, named it Wally. He revealed his pleasant shock at spotting the walrus for the first time in Cornwall whom he mistakenly thought was a seal at first glimpse. “I think I was more shocked than the passengers and kind of just got emotional because yeah, never expected it to ever happen,” he told Daily Mail. The animal is moving down south from first appearing in County Kerry in Ireland and then further south in Tenby, Wales, and now Padstow coast, Cornwall. Experts believe the mammal may have initially dozed off on a block of ice and drifted across the ocean. Tenby is only 70 nautical miles away from Padstow coast. The arctic mammal took a short cruise reaching his top speed of 21 miles per hour to reach Cornwall.
Pembrokeshire authorities are of the view that the irresponsible activities of onlookers, skiers, surfers and paddleboarders who tried to reach the animal have forced Wally to move further south.
The sighting brought hundreds of tourists and naturalists to have a glimpse of the Arctic native. Authorities and conservation groups have urged the people to enjoy him from a distance and respect his privacy and peace.
Moreover, walrus is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981, and anyone found disturbing the animal would be charged under criminal offence.
Abby Crosby, a marine conservation officer from Cornwall Wildlife Trust said that marine disturbance is a massive problem in Cornwall. “We need to leave him in peace so he does not come to harm which happens when they come into contact with humans,” he added.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here