THE ARRIVAL OF an Arctic walrus off the coast of West Cork has drawn flocks of onlookers to the area, keen to catch sight of the animal that usually resides in much colder climates.
While most watch Wally – as the Walrus has become known – from the shore, some have been going to greater lengths to get up close and personal with the animal, by pulling up boats beside him.
In one instance, Pádraig Whooley, Sightings Officer with the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, says he even saw a woman hop onto a boat that the tusked marine mammal was resting on.
“I think what happened was, she saw that, all of a sudden, it wasn’t the cute, quizzical-looking, comical face of Wally the Walrus. It was a big mammal that was the size of a bull,” Whooley said.
She decided very quickly to get back onto her own boat after that.
Wally was originally spotted lounging on rocks at Valentia Island back in March, before being seen off the coast of several other European countries, including England, France and Spain over the course of several months.
The more recent sightings occurred first near Clonea Strand in Co Waterford earlier this month and then around Courtmacsherry and Clonakilty Bay in West Cork in recent days.
He has been spotted resting on several boats, resulting in some of them being heavily damaged. Hundreds of people have been drawn to the area to see the animal.
Whooley urged people to behave responsibly and stay well away from the walrus.
If the animal is visible from the shore, watch him from the shore. Leave the boats behind. You’re potentially just making a bad situation more difficult for the animal. And you’re also putting yourself at risk.
Whooley noted that walruses are used to facing off against polar bears, so it’s probable that Wally is completely unperturbed by all the antics his visit to West Cork has prompted, but it’s still best to use the precautionary principle.
The marine life expert said the walrus may be in Irish waters because it is seeking a new home due to the damage climate change has wrought on its Arctic environment.
He noted that Wally being in Irish waters has coincided with the release of the landmark United Nations report, which pointed to “unequivocal” evidence that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land.
“If readers of The Journal are looking for an example of climate change; You know we don’t have wildfires the size of County Wicklow like California, we don’t have floods that killed hundreds of people like Germany, but we can look out our window and see a walrus. It’s quite worrying,” Whooley said.
“I never thought that I’d say to my kids that I’m showing them an Arctic walrus.”
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