Where’s Wally? The wandering celebrity walrus is spotted in Iceland
After gaining fame — and sparking concern — during his travels around Europe, Wally appears headed home to the Arctic.
By ReutersSeptember 22, 2021
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COPENHAGEN — Wally, the walrus who has found fame during his travels round Europe, has been spotted in Iceland more than 900 kilometers from his last known location, Seal Rescue Ireland said.
He was previously seen 22 days ago in West Cork, Ireland, sparking concerns for his safety, but the Irish rescue charity said new pictures of a similar-looking walrus taken in Iceland were indeed Wally.
“We are absolutely over the moon that he’s not only still alive and well, but he is well on his way home to the Arctic,” said Seal Rescue Ireland.
A walrus identified by Seal Rescue Ireland as Wally, the wandering walrus last spotted in West Cork, Ireland, is seen in harbor in Hofn, Iceland on September 19, 2021 in this image obtained from social media on September 22, 2021. (Courtesy Lilja Johannesdottir via Reuters)
A walrus identified by Seal Rescue Ireland as Wally, the wandering walrus last spotted in West Cork, Ireland, sits in harbor in Hofn, Iceland on September 19, 2021. (Courtesy Hafrun Erikis / via Reuters)
A screen grab from a footage shows a walrus identified by Seal Rescue Ireland as Wally, the wandering walrus last spotted in West Cork, Ireland, in harbor in Hofn, Iceland on September 21, 2021. (Courtesy South East Iceland Nature Research Centre via Reuters)
A walrus identified by Seal Rescue Ireland as Wally, the wandering walrus last spotted in West Cork, Ireland, sits in harbor in Hofn, Iceland on September 19, 2021. (Courtesy Hafrun Erikis via Reuters)
A walrus identified by Seal Rescue Ireland as Wally, the wandering walrus last spotted in West Cork, Ireland, is seen in harbor in Hofn, Iceland on September 19, 2021 in this image obtained from social media on September 22, 2021. (Courtesy Lilja Johannesdottir / via Reuters)
It had come to the conclusion after comparing pictures with the British Divers Marine Life Rescue organization and other seal rescue centers in Britain and Europe, where Wally has previously been spotted.
“We compared the photo to confirmed photos of Wally, and were able to identify markings on his flippers that were an exact match,” Seal Rescue Ireland executive director Melanie Croce told Reuters by e-mail.
Reporting by Stine Jacobsen in Copenhagen and Natalia Oriol in Gdansk.
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