A walrus has been spotted in the hebrides, hauled out on Cairn na Burgh Beag - a small island which forms part of the Treshnish Isles, off the NW coast of the Isle of Mull. Local creel fisherman, Lorn MacRae, spotted the massive creature basking on the shore in the winter sun.
Lorn reported his incredible sighting to the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT), after encountering the animal on Monday 27 February. HWDT have been collecting sightings reports off Scotland’s west coast for over 25 years, and this is the first report of a walrus in HWDT’s database so this is a significant record for the region.
Walruses are rare visitors to Scottish shores, although in recent years there have been several reports of these huge marine mammals in UK waters. Over the festive period, a large male - known as Thor - had been spotted in Yorkshire (in Scarborough a short hop from the CJS Office!), prior to that he had been reported in the Netherlands and off France. However, Thor was recorded in Iceland on Friday 24 February, so if this is him, he’s made an unbelievable journey!
Thor has distinctive markings on his flippers, so HWDT are asking anyone who may encounter the walrus to report it on Whale Track and send in photos. Reporting sightings of this walrus through Whale Track will allow HWDT to monitor the movement and health of the animal and add to the understanding of marine life off Scotland’s coasts.
“Reporting through Whale Track provides us with vital data on the species in our seas, helping monitor the different species. Through Photo-ID, we can find out more about the animals life, monitoring its movements and health. We don’t have walrus as a specific species in Whale Track as it is such a rare sighting, however people can report it using the category ‘other’ and put the species in the comments section.” said Sadie Gorvett, HWDTs Education Officer.
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Posted On: 28/02/2023