In March 2021, a massive biological anomaly washed up on the rocks of Valentia Island in County Kerry, Ireland. He was an Atlantic walrus, a species that typically inhabits the freezing ice floes of the Arctic Circle, yet he had somehow navigated thousands of miles south to the temperate Celtic Sea. Weighing approximately 800 kilograms (1,760 lbs), the juvenile male was dubbed “Wally”.
But how did he get there? Marine biologists proposed a theory that sounds like a cartoon plot but is entirely plausible: he likely climbed onto a drifting iceberg or ice floe for a nap in the Arctic, fell into a deep sleep, and drifted south until the ice melted, leaving him stranded far from home. This “accidental tourist” then began a chaotic, six-month European tour that would see him become a destroyer of property and a logistical nightmare for harbor authorities.
The Lifeboat Station Takeover
After his Irish debut, the massive mammal swam across to Pembrokeshire, Wales. He selected the RNLI lifeboat slipway in Tenby as his primary residence. For several weeks, the walrus treated the emergency launch ramp as his personal sunbed.
His presence drew thousands of tourists to the cliffside, hoping to view the rare visitor. However, his choice of napping spot created a critical safety issue. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution had to ensure their vessel could still launch for emergencies without harming the animal. Volunteer crews resorted to using air horns and banging poles to gently encourage the giant off the concrete whenever an emergency call came in.
Sinking Ships in the Isles of Scilly
By June, the Arctic traveler had moved south to the Isles of Scilly, off the Cornish coast. Here, the situation escalated from inconvenient to destructive. Walruses require frequent rest periods on land or ice, and in the absence of ice sheets, Wally attempted to haul his bulk onto the next best thing: luxury yachts and small dinghies.
The results were catastrophic for local boat owners. Wally mounted several vessels in St. Mary’s Harbour, and his immense weight instantly capsized and sank multiple small boats. He snapped satellite dishes off yachts, destroyed engines, and crushed the fiberglass hulls of specialized rib boats. To stop the destruction, British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) intervened with a unique solution.
They constructed a customized, reinforced pontoon—essentially a “floating couch”—scented with his own musk to lure him away from private property. The tactic worked, allowing him to rest without crushing the local fleet.
The Long Journey Home
After terrorizing the harbor in the Isles of Scilly and making a brief stop in Cork, Ireland, where he was spotted sleeping on a chaotic pile of boats, the animal vanished. For 22 days, marine experts tracked nothing. Then, in September 2021, a confirmation came from over 900 kilometers away.
Wally was spotted in Höfn, Iceland. Photographs confirmed his identity through the unique scars on his flippers, proving the Arctic wanderer had finally returned to the freezing waters where he belonged.