Other name(s) | Wally the Wandering Walrus |
---|---|
Sex | Male |
Known for | Travelling long distances around the coast of Western Europe. |
Weight | 800 kg (1,764 lb; 126 st 0 lb) |
Wally the Walrus, also known as Wally the Wandering Walrus, is a male arctic walrus who attracted much media attention for appearing, and hauling out, during 2021 in several locations across the coast of western Europe, mainly Ireland and Britain, far away from the typical range of a walrus. He is estimated to weigh around 800 kilograms (1,800 lb). [1]
Wally is thought to have first appeared in March 2021, on Valentia Island, County Kerry, Ireland. [2] Days later, he was spotted in Wales near Broad Haven South beach, Pembrokeshire. [3] Wally was then seen basking on the RNLI lifeboat slipway in Tenby. [4] While in Tenby, Wally would regularly sunbathe on the lifeboat slipway, causing problems when the lifeboat needed to be deployed. The local lifeboat crew used several methods to deter him, on one occasion using an airhorn. [5] Wally also sank a dinghy and attempted to board a fishing boat in Tenby Harbour. [6] Following these sightings in Wales, Wally left Tenby after nearly three months and was spotted off the coast of Padstow in Cornwall. [7]
In May 2021, Wally the Walrus was seen in Les Sables d'Olonne in western France, where local wildlife experts feared he had been hit by a boat. [8] After a sighting in Bilbao, Spain, Wally was seen two weeks later near the Isles of Scilly, trying to mount boats near Porthcressa Beach, south of Hugh Town. [9] Wally was also pictured off St Martins, sleeping on a local fishing boat. [10] While in the Isles of Scilly, Wally the Walrus sank and damaged several boats, leading local groups, including the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, Devon and Cornwall Police, RNLI, Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, and St Mary’s harbour authority, to come up with a plan to humanely remove or deter Wally from the harbour. [11] Wally was also given a purpose-built pontoon in St Mary’s harbour to bask on and to act as a safe space, which would also deter him from mounting boats, which would damage them. [12] He left the Isles of Scilly after nearly three months in early August. [13]
After leaving the Isles of Scilly, Wally the Walrus swam to Crookhaven Harbour in County Cork, where another pontoon was floated for him to use to stop him from damaging local boats. [14] Three weeks after leaving Ireland, in September 2021, Wally was spotted in Iceland. [1]
While Wally the Walrus was in the Isles of Scilly, a petition was launched to "Get Wally the walrus home", which attracted around 200 signatures as of June 2021. [15]
Cornwall is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations and is the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, Devon to the east, and the English Channel to the south. The largest settlement is Falmouth, and the county town is Truro.
St Ives is a seaside town, civil parish and port in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town lies north of Penzance and west of Camborne on the coast of the Celtic Sea. In former times it was commercially dependent on fishing. The decline in fishing, however, caused a shift in commercial emphasis, and the town is now primarily a popular seaside resort, notably achieving the title of Best UK Seaside Town from the British Travel Awards in both 2010 and 2011. St Ives was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1639. St Ives has become renowned for its number of artists. It was named best seaside town of 2007 by The Guardian newspaper.
St Mary's is the largest and most populous island of the Isles of Scilly, an archipelago off the southwest coast of Cornwall in England, United Kingdom.
Hugh Town is the largest settlement on the Isles of Scilly and its administrative centre. The town is situated on the island of St Mary's, the largest and most populous island in the archipelago, and is located on a narrow isthmus which joins the peninsula known as the Garrison with the rest of the island.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It is one of several lifeboat services operating in the same area.
Tenby is a seaside town and community in the county of Pembrokeshire, Wales. It lies within Carmarthen Bay.
Port Isaac is a small fishing village on the Atlantic coast of north Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. The nearest towns are Wadebridge and Camelford, each ten miles (16 km) away. A nearby hamlet, Port Gaverne, is sometimes considered to be part of Port Isaac. The meaning of the village's Cornish name, Porthysek, is "corn port", indicating a trade in corn from the arable inland district.
Mousehole is a village and fishing port in Cornwall, England, UK. It is approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) south of Penzance on the shore of Mount's Bay. The village is in the civil parish of Penzance. An islet called St Clement's Isle lies about 350 metres (380 yd) offshore from the harbour entrance.
St Mary's Lifeboat Station is situated in St Mary's Harbour, Isles of Scilly and has been an important station for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution since the service began in 1837, however without a service between 1855 and 1874.
RMV Scillonian III is a passenger ship based at Penzance in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, run by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company. She operates the principal ferry service to the Isles of Scilly and is one of only three ships in the world still carrying the status of Royal Mail Ship.
Porthoustock is a hamlet near St Keverne in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, on the east coast of Lizard Peninsula. Aggregates are quarried nearby and Porthoustock beach is dominated by a large concrete stone silo that was once used to store stone ready to load ships but is now disused. Coastal trading ships of up to 82 metres can dock alongside the pier along the southern edge of the beach to be loaded with stone. Fishing boats operate from the pebble beach, with lobster and crab potting, net fishing and hand lines as the principal fishing methods. The South West Coast Path passes through Porthoustock.
St Ives Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations at St Ives, Cornwall in the United Kingdom. The first lifeboat was built for the town in 1840 and the present boathouse was opened in 1994. It operates a Shannon-class all weather boat (AWB) and a D-class (IB1) inshore lifeboat (ILB).
Torbay Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations at Brixham, Devon in England. Brixham Lifeboat Station was opened in 1866 but since 1924 has been known as 'Torbay'. Since 2005 it has operated a Severn-class all-weather lifeboat (ALB) together with a D-class (IB1) inshore lifeboat (ILB).
Newhaven Lifeboat Station is an RNLI station located in the town of Newhaven in the English county of East Sussex in the United Kingdom. The station operates as an all-weather lifeboat station. The original station was established in 1803 and taken over by the RNLI in 1854. The current lifeboat (2014) is the Severn class David and Elizabeth Acland .
St Davids Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station. It was opened in 1869 and to date has been involved in saving over 360 lives at sea in more than 420 launches. The station operates both an all-weather (ALB) and an inshore (ILB) lifeboat.
Scarborough Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) operated lifeboat station in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. A lifeboat was established at Scarborough in 1801, which makes it the third oldest lifeboat station in the United Kingdom.
The Scilly Boys was a four-man rowing team who, in June 2008, attempted to beat the trans-Atlantic rowing record but were capsized due to a storm. The group consisted of Chris Jenkins, Tim Garratt, Wayne Davey and Joby Newton.