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Cork

11th Aug 2021

Wally the Walrus has wrapped up his West Cork staycay – where’s he off to next?

Fiona Frawley

In the absence of our beloved Fungie, the people of Ireland have opted to focus all our love and affection on Wally the Walrus, who’s just wrapped up a stint in West Cork after being spotted in Waterford earlier this week.

During his time in West Cork Wally enjoyed a spot of sunbathing atop some local speed boats, which Seal Rescue Ireland say is common practice for this species.

According to SRI, as walruses are semi-aquatic creatures they do need to come up onto land or floating objects such as these boats for a spell to rest every now and then. Because of this, SRI have issued an appeal for the donation of an unused rib for Wally (no engine needed), just a designated spot for him to lay down his flippers a while, undisturbed.

Last week, Seal Rescue Ireland issued advice for anyone who happens to spot Wally the Walrus, which included staying well away, keeping dogs on leads and avoiding attracting crowds by not publicly disclosing his location if you do see him. They reminded us that Wally is a long way from his Arctic home, and is probably here due to the effects climate change has had on his natural habitat. While it’s an absolute joy seeing him out and about, enjoying snoozes on speedboats from time to time, we really do hope he stays out of harms way and can safely make the long journey back to his Arctic home when the time is right.

Header image via Instagram/Seal Rescue Ireland

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