This Walrus Fell Asleep On An Arctic Iceberg And Woke Up Over 4000 Kms Away In Ireland
Ireland was all abuzz yesterday after a big old walrus was spotted all alone climbing ashore on Valentia Island — one of the country’s most westerly points. Why was it such a big deal? Because his species lives in the North Pole, not Ireland.
The giant walrus — apparently the size of a dairy cow — was first spotted by five-year-old Muireann Houlihan and her dad Alan on the Kerry coast.
“We thought it was a seal first, but then it breached out of the water and hauled itself up on to the rock. We saw these massive tusks and it was a huge animal,” Alan told RTE. “We couldn’t believe it. It was like a cow or a bull coming out of the sea”.
Exhausted Arctic walrus spotted on Valentia Island #Kerry today far,far from home. Rare but not unusual sight by all accounts – first official walrus sighting here on the Shannon in 1897. (Footage thanks to Seánie Murphy/Valentia) @RTEnews pic.twitter.com/yrdQR1Ibam
— JennïeØSullivân (@OSullivanJennie) March 14, 2021
The part that truly gets me about all this, though, is that according to Independent.ie, local experts believe that the Arctic creature likely got there after falling asleep on an iceberg that carried him across the Atlantic ocean.
If this isn’t the most ‘me’ thing I’ve ever heard and a 2020/21 mood, I don’t know what is. Just needing to take a little nap, thinking you’ve found a cosy corner to do so, and BOOM, more trouble.
As one would imagine after such a long journey, National Parks and Wildlife Service ranger and marine biologist William Hunt told RTE that the animal was hungry and tired upon arrival.
“He looked exhausted and fairly emaciated. Hopefully, he is out looking for food, foraging for invertebrates and shellfish. We have plenty of scallop here in the harbour. But we don’t know what condition it’s in or if it’s capable of doing that. It’s also a possibility that it may have left the harbour and moved along the coast”.
Five year old Muireann Houlihan was out walking with her dad Alan when they spotted what they thought was a seal but quickly realized was a walrus!
“It was amazing. A real adventure. We couldn’t believe our eyes. It is once-in-a-lifetime stuff,” said Alan who took these pics. pic.twitter.com/3fRZDjAeAG
— JennïeØSullivân (@OSullivanJennie) March 14, 2021
Hopefully the poor little (very big) guy finds all the food he needs to re-energize and can catch an iceberg right back home again.
(Lead image: Tiwtter/ @OSullivanJennie/ Alan Houlihan)
