On the 14th of March 2021 something strange happened at the west coast of Ireland. There was a Walrus sighting and last weekend the 21st of March a walrus was also sighted on the coast of Pembroke, Wales. What makes this a rare sighting? Let’s dive into the world of walruses.
The walrus (Odenbunus rosmarus) is the largest of all the pinnipeds (seals, sea lion). There are two subspecies: the Atlantic walrus and the Pacific walrus. Walruses only live in the Northern Hemisphere and within the Arctic circle round the coasts of Russia, Alaska, Greenland, Svalbard. During the winter walruses can mostly be found amongst the arctic (pack) ice. And during the spring, summer and autumn they can be found in coastal areas with shallow seas. The walrus has a cinnamon brown colour in general, however these colours can change in specific circumstances. For example if they stay in the sun for long they can turn pink.
Male walruses weigh between 1,200 to 1,500 kg and are 3 m in length. Females are smaller than males, weighing around 600 – 700 kg and with lengths of 2.5m. Females get one calf every 2-3 years from the age 5-12 years. Walruses mainly eat bivalve molluscs (clams) and other benthic (sea bottom) invertebrates. Some walruses, particularly large males, can also hunt and kill seals, seabirds and sometimes even narwhals and belugas.
They may seem very bulky and heavy, but they are very agile and strong swimmers and dive at depths that reach 32m. Most dives last between 5 to 7 minutes. Besides the bulkiness of walruses, what also characterizes walruses is their moustache which consists of bristles which can reach a length of 30cm. These bristle surround the tusks of the walrus, these tusks can grow to 1m in length. Further they have a big layer of fat which keeps them warm in the arctic conditions.
Little fun fact the scientific name of the walrus Odebenus rosmarus means the tooth-walking sea horse. This name isn’t so strange as walrus’ use their tusks to haul themselves on land and/or ice. Tusks are not only used to haul themselves on the beach, males also use them to fight for dominance.
Walruses are very social animals. They are mostly seen in either small groups or groups of hundreds. When they lie on land they prefer to maintain body contact with each other.
Did you know that walruses can ''sing''? Walruses have a variety of sounds that they use. Males especially are very vocal, they can produce long and repetitive vocalizations which could even last for 65 hours! These vocalizations show the walrus' social status within the herd and are an important part of the breeding behaviour. Sometimes when males are to close to each other singing they might end up fighting for dominance of the herd.
Example Walrus vocalizations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CohJksnlT1g
The adventurer
So walruses only occur within the arctic circle and are social animals, what is this lone walrus doing in Ireland and Wales? It is unknown why some walruses are found in lower latitudes then the Arctic circle. It is however not the first time that this has happened. Through the last decennia walruses have been seen at the Dutch, Irish, British, Danish and other countries coasts. This Irish/Welsh specimen is probably one and the same individual, and probably a young adult, as its mostly young adults who like to go on an adventure. The fact that this individual has been seen on several locations, could be a sign that this individual isn't exhausted or undernourished and can sustain itself in this environment. However when walruses haul themselves on the coast, this might make the walrus look sluggish and sick. Because of this sluggishness and these lower latitudes aren't it's natural habitat, some earlier walruses who ventured to the south have received a so called ''mercy'' kill. Because we humans thought that it was sick and suffering we would end his suffering. But there is a good chance that these walruses were in fact healthy and just resting after a swim and some nice dinner. Let's hope that this Walrus will finds its own way back home to the north. The Irish whale and dolphin trusts has a page with updates on their website (link can be found below).
Sources:
NAMMCO:
Irish whale and dolphin trust, Walrus updates: