Sunbathing walrus spotted off the coast of Mull

A walrus has been spotted in the Inner Hebrides, relaxing on a small island off the north-west coast of Mull.

 

The massive creature was spotted on Cairn na Burgh Beag in the Treshnish Isles by local creel fisherman Lorn MacRae on Monday February 27.

 

Mr MacRae spotted the walrus basking on the shore in the winter sun and reported his incredible sighting to the Tobermory-based Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT).

 

The trust has been collecting reports cetacean sightings off Scotland's west coast for more than 25 years, but this is the first report of a walrus in its database.

 

Mr MacRae said: “It was a surprise to see the walrus hauled out and the Atlantic grey seals seemed to be giving it a wide berth.”

 

Walruses rarely visit Scottish shores, although in recent years there have been several

 

reports of these huge marine mammals in UK waters.

 

During the festive period, a large male called Thor had been spotted in Yorkshire and prior to that he had been reported off the French coast and in the Netherlands.

 

A sighting of Thor was also recorded in Iceland on Friday February 24, so if this walrus is him, he has made quite an incredible journey.

 

Thor has distinctive markings on his flippers, so HWDT is asking anyone who may encounter the walrus to report it on Whale Track and to send it any photographs.

 

Reporting sightings of this walrus will allow the trust team to monitor the movement and health of the animal, helping the understanding of marine life off Scotland’s coasts.

 

Education officer at HDWT Sadie Gorvett said: “Reporting through Whale Track provides us with vital data on the species in our seas. 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.”

 

While this is an exciting sighting, welfare concerns have been raised when walruses have hauled out in more populated areas.

 

It is important to maintain a safe and respectful distance, while not hanging around the creatures for too long.

 

The HDWT also advise that the three-is-a-crowd rule is applicable when watching marine wildlife and it wouldn't advise being near walruses for more than 15 minutes at a time.

 

It has shared the sighting of the walrus with its conservation partners, the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR).

 

Rescue and Community Coordinator at BDMLR Molly Gray said: "We ask that everyone behaves sensibly and responsibly in response to the news of another walrus in the area, and we advise giving the animal a very wide berth to avoid disturbing it.

 

"Walruses travel long distances and have rest stops to recover and regain energy before moving on again, and being disturbed by people being too close or noisy will impact its chance of survival."

 

She added: "If you are concerned about the animal’s welfare please contact BDMLR on 01825 765546.”

 

The HWDT is unsure as to why there have been increased reports of walrus in more southern latitudes in recent years.

 

It believes that only long-term monitoring of the species can determine whether this is a trend or an anomaly.

 

More information about Whale Track is available at www.whaletrack.hwdt.org