A Rare Sighting: Walrus Spotted on Scotland’s Rocky Coast
Residents in the Hebrides archipelago of Scotland’s western coast were recently treated to a rare sight: a walrus stretched out in the sun. Fisherman Lorn Macrae was the first to spot the “massive” creature on the tiny island of Cairn na Burgh Beag, 520 miles northwest of London.
This is the first recorded sighting of a walrus along the western coast of Scotland in over 25 years. Though walruses are rare visitors to Scottish shores, marine experts said that it is possible that this walrus is the same one that was recently spotted in the Netherlands, France, England and Iceland, nicknamed “Thor.”
Walruses are divided into two species, the Pacific and Atlantic, and are named for the areas they inhabit. The Pacific walrus roams from Russia to the western coast of the U.S., while the Atlantic walrus can be found in the northern coast of Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia. There is thought to be around 25,000 Atlantic and around 200,000 Pacific walrus in the wild, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust is encouraging people to remain respectful of the Arctic visitor by staying a considerable distance from the animal, not watching it for too long and not gathering in large numbers.
“Walruses travel long distances and have rest stops to recover and regain energy before moving on again,” said Molly Gray with the British Divers Marine Life Rescue. “Being disturbed by people being too close or noisy will impact (the walrus’) chance of survival.”
This sighting is a reminder of the importance of preserving our planet’s wildlife and ecosystems, and encourages us to appreciate the rare beauty of these creatures in their natural habitats.
