Arctic Walrus Sleeping on Iceberg Wakes Up in Ireland, Proves Continental Drift Theory?

Irish locals found a walrus wandering at a nearby beach - believed to have drifted to the North Atlantic island from the Arctic after taking a nap on an iceberg.

Local news outlet IrishCentral reported that the young arctic walrus was found off the coast of Kerry last Sunday, March 14, from Greenland - thanks to five-year-old Muireann Houlihan and her father.

Young and Exhausted in a Foreign Land

Walking along the length of Glanleam Beach on Valentia Island, the Houlihans spotted the walrus in a seemingly exhausted state. Experts believe that the walrus was still young, with its tusks only about 11.8 inches long (30 cm). Alan Houlihan added that there was no more sign of the walrus the following day, noting that he has never seen anything like it.

"I thought it was a seal at first, and then we saw the tusks," Houlihan told the news outlet. He added that the blubbery beast "kind of jumped" on the nearby rocks. "He was about the size of a bull or a cow, pretty similar in size; he's big, big."

According to Kevin Flannery, from the nearby Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium, the walrus should be left alone to let it regain its strength. He also added that hopefully, the young walrus could find its way home by itself. He suggests that the walrus was likely sleeping on a piece of an iceberg that broke off the massive Greenland shelf, drifting across the Gulf Stream before ending up in Irish waters, settling on Valentia Island.

Calling the incident a "one-off," he also noted that this marks the first confirmed walrus sighting in Irish waters. However, IrishCentral reports that there have been previous walrus sightings reported across Ireland - one was reportedly found in the town of Shannon in 1987 while another was supposedly sighted in Mayo back in 1999. A walrus was last found washed ashore on Brandy Hall Beach, Berehaven, in October 1930.

Large Mammals of the Arctic

Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) are found near the North Pole, in the Arctic Circle, and in some parts of the subarctic waters in the Northern Hemisphere. These walruses constitute the only living species in the pinniped family Obobenidae and the genus Odobenus, further subdivided into two subspecies: the Atlantic and the Pacific walruses.

These animals, characterized mainly by their tusks and whiskers, hunt for shellfish in shallow waters and climb up icebergs and beaches to stop and rest. Their tusks, which are actually elongated canines, are present in both male and females species and could reach lengths of 3 feet, 3 inches (1 meter), and weigh up to 12 lbs (5.4kg). More notably, tusks are generally longer and thicker among males, who also use them for fighting with other walruses as well as displaying strength and dominance for attracting females.

Another fascinating feature of walruses is the presence of air sacs under their throat, used as a flotation mechanism that allows them to bob vertically while in water and allowing them to sleep.

Check out more news on Walruses on Science Times.