‘Wally’ the WALRUS is now on Scilly!

17th June 2021

Kayaking with a Humpbacked Whale on Christmas Day! Only a few days ago, an Egyptian Vulture and this afternoon ‘Wally’ the WALRUS has turned up in Porthcressa Bay!!! Insane stuff!!!

Just before 16.30, Joe Pender put news out on the Scilly Wildlife News WhatsApp group, that a ‘visitor has reported a Walrus in Porthcressa trying to climb in a boat’ Shit!! I was gone and a few minutes later I was at the east end of Porthcressa scanning the bay and picked it up after Will Wagstaff putting the news out that it was following a yacht. As soon as I saw it through the bins, even though it was distant, I couldn’t believe the size of it as it swam between the yachts, causing havoc trying to climb aboard on some of them. This is crazy! I’m watching ‘Wally’ the WALRUS on Scilly after only a few days ago I was observing an Egyptian Vulture over The Roads!!! Someone asked me what I was looking at and when I replied ‘A Walrus!’ that caused havoc in itself Everyone nearby that overhead started asking me ‘Did you say Walrus?’ Before I knew it, there was ten to twenty folk surrounding me shouting ‘I can see it!’ And ‘There it is!’ Some had bins but you could clearly see it with your naked eye. Shortly afterward the first of the local birders arrived and for the next three hours, I spent my time in awe with the Walrus at Porthcressa. In the last hour, I walked over to the west end of the bay and made my ways over the rocks towards Morning Point. From here, the light was better, with the sun behind me, and the beast showed at a lot closer range still trying to get on the bathing platforms at the stern of the yachts. At the same time, the owners were trying desperately to push it off with awes and brooms. I even heard a loud horn blowing to scare the Arctic wanderer off. It never gave up and swam from one vessel to another but getting nowhere. The last time I saw the Walrus, was resting very briefly on the rocks, in the center of the bay, before returning to the water where it was lost. Hopefully, it found somewhere to relax for the night.

‘Wally’ trying desperately to find a yacht to rest on after arriving all the way from North Spain where it was last seen. Before this, it was first spotted in SW Ireland, then Pembrokeshire, Wales, at sea off Cornwall and then France. And now the first WALRUS for Scilly is at Porthcressa Bay!!!

When he did find a rock to rest, it was only very briefly before he was back in the cold water

The small rib damaged by ‘Wally’

Part of the crowd enjoying ‘Wally’ out in the bay

After just taking it in after watching the Walrus, I spent the last twenty minutes with the Red-footed Falcon on the golf course with the quay in the background

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