Young Walrus Magnus Explores Scottish Coastline
A young walrus who has gained attention as he travels along the Scottish coast is "just exploring," according to experts.
The male walrus, named Magnus, was initially observed on the Orkney island of Stronsay earlier this month.
Following his first sighting, Magnus was seen in Lossiemouth, Macduff, and Fraserburgh. His most recent location was Findochty this week, where he attracted large crowds. However, he appeared to have moved on again by Tuesday morning.
Cath Bain, representing the charity British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), stated that predicting Magnus's next destination is uncertain.
Walrus Sightings and Habitat
Walruses are occasional visitors to UK shores, with sightings becoming more frequent in recent years. One hypothesis for this increase is the loss of sea ice habitats in the Arctic.
Magnus is estimated to be approximately 8 feet (2.5 meters) in length.
His recent behavior has entertained onlookers, including scratching himself against metal posts and rolling into the water while asleep.
Local Observations and Public Interaction
Bain, BDMLR's local area coordinator for Moray and Banffshire, described the experience as an exceptional opportunity for the public to observe this rare visitor.
"He made his way east from Lossiemouth and had a made a brief stop at Macduff and went off and was seen at Fraserburgh,"
"We thought that would probably be the last we would see of him - and then he appeared in Findochty."
She noted that Magnus had been "quite happily" resting on a pontoon at Findochty.
"At one point he was lying asleep and was obviously a little too close to the edge and he rolled himself off the pontoon and into the water,"
"He got a bit of a shock I think."
Bain reported that Magnus appeared to be in good condition, aside from some superficial scrapes.
"In general, people have been very respectful and are just watching him very quietly, and letting him rest,"
"Luckily by the fact he's on the floating pontoons means people can watch him without getting too close, which is ideal.
We've had lots of families come down, some schoolchildren came down, he seems to be quite happy with all of that."
She added that the public was "fascinated" by Magnus, describing the encounter as potentially a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity.
"A lot of people have had a chance to see their first ever walrus, which is lovely."
Regarding Magnus's future movements, Bain stated it was difficult to predict where he might go next or how long he would remain in any location.
"As to where he might go next, that's anybody's guess,"
"I wouldn't like to hazard a guess."
Reasons for Public Interest
When asked why Magnus attracted so much attention, Bain explained the role of social media in spreading news quickly.
"Vagrant walruses are not a new thing, what is new is social media, once they appear in one place the word goes round very quickly, and so everybody knows about it,"
"In the past maybe only the people in that one small village might have known there was something weird on the end of the pontoon."
Bain described the walrus's diet as including clams, mussels, and crustaceans, which are abundant along the Scottish coast.
"They are Arctic specialists, they are used to much colder water temperatures,"
"One of the reasons I think he might be preferring to haul out on pontoons is because it perhaps feels a bit like a floating iceberg.
It's not really their natural habitat, it's a bit too far south, a bit too warm, which is a strange thing to say for Scotland."
Historical Walrus Sightings in Orkney
Previous walrus appearances in the region include one in North Ronaldsay, Orkney's northernmost island, in 2013.
Another was observed at the same island before moving south to rest on Sanday island in 2018.
Bain added context about young walruses venturing beyond their typical range.
"From what we understand, it's not entirely unusual for a young walrus to explore a little further than their normal range.
They are not common to come to the UK but equally it's not completely unheard of.
I guess they're just growing up and exploring."
