Walrus, North Ronaldsay (1 Viewer)

Jos Stratford said:

And of course there was the one near Bergen (if not the one you mention here) that spent a day sunbathing on a beach while we, blissfully unaware, ambled about just a few kilometres to its east :-O

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Farnboro John said:

I'm not sure why you imagine they aren't strong swimmers. We know a Polar Bear can swim a hundred miles at a stretch or more - after all they turn up in Iceland from time to time - and it is inconceivable that a much more aquatically adapted mammal such as a Walrus can't beat that by a very long way.

In any case there are a number of British records. One reason they seem difficult to catch up with is that they don't seem to stick, which also tends to suggest that they are very strong swimmers with minimal recovery times before setting off home. The last one (I think) departed almost straightaway and was recorded in Norway near Bergen not very long afterwards.

If only they were as easy as Bearded Seals....

That still leaves the displacement question and I can't answer that except to say that it seems to happen to all Arctic species occasionally. Ice floe drifting South and melting under it perhaps?

John

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andyadcock said:

I know they swim obviously but they aren't designed for long distance movements is what I meant.


A

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Farnboro John said:

The assumption seems to be adult male, it has serious tusks on it.

John

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Farnboro John said:

Ice floe drifting South and melting under it perhaps?

John

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Nutcracker said:

Thanks! 'Adult' would be, what, 5 years or more? 10 years or more?



Very unlikely for Orkney - the water is much too warm for ice floes, and is against the sea currents too. It'd have to swim actively against the North Atlantic Drift to get there.

Perhaps something wrong with its navigation system? Maybe similar, a Harp Seal in Northumbs a few years ago was an elderly male with an eye infection and other age-related degeneration that could have impaired its navigation [it was taken into care but died after a couple of weeks, details from its post-mortem].

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