Where's Wally Now ! on his way back to Kerry by all accounts.
Wally is expected to continue cruising north, along Kerry and then up the western seaboard.
People are asked to report any sightings of him to SRI's 24/7 hotline at 087 195 5393 and to not share the location publicly until a designated haul-out site for him is established
The Arctic walrus, who was first spotted off Valentia Island on the Skellig Coat last March, was first spotted by Alan Houlihan and his five-year-old daughter Muireann while they were out walking.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Hourihan said “it was just amazing” to spot the seam mammal. “It’s the size of a cow or a bull…I hadn’t seen anything like it in Ireland.”
Wally is now on tour and has spent the last two weeks cruising and feeding along the south-east and southern coast.
But the 800kg male juvenile has left a trail of destruction in his wake – after hauling himself onto several small boats to rest, causing thousands of euro worth of damage and sinking at least two.
Wally the walrus is set to get a ‘floating couch’ in an effort to prevent him from sinking more boats. It is ready to be deployed quickly if there are more sightings of Wally in busy harbour areas over the coming days.
Walruses, like seals and sea lions, are pinnipeds, or semi-aquatic, which means they must come up on land or onto a floating object to rest.
His penchant for lounging on boats prompted an appeal from Seal Rescue Ireland (SRI) for the donation of an unused rib or a large pontoon that could be used as a designated haul-out site for him to rest.
The walrus, normally found in Arctic seas, has travelled an estimated 4,000km along the coast of western Europe over the past four months.
Experts don’t know why he arrived off Valentia in March but say factors could include climate change.
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