The famous walrus Thor has left Yorkshire to return to his Arctic home after an incredible 3,000 mile voyage in which he swam past France and the Netherlands before visiting two English coastal towns.
The marine mammal wowed crowds in Scarborough on Friday, weeks after it was spotted resting on a beach in Southampton.
Such was the excitement that a cordon was erected around him to keep the lively crowds in place, with wildlife experts having warned he was “taking a break” before continuing his journey north.
Thor is believed to have left his home in the Arctic Circle earlier this winter, and may have even traveled from Canada, before being spotted on the coast of Zeeland in the southeast corner of the Netherlands on November 6th.
The arctic walrus continued its journey up the North Sea towards the Belgian coast and has been sighted along the Belgian coast before reaching the English Channel and the coasts of Dieppe and Brittany in northern France.
Thor rested ashore in the port of Dieppe, Normandy, on November 19 with no sign of illness.
Local authorities closed the area off to the public again, with warnings to give the walrus a wide berth before it fell back into the water the next day.
More than three weeks later, the walrus was sighted on Calshot Beach in Hampshire.
Fisherman Darren McKell was out with his wife Caroline and son Luke in the early hours of the morning when they found the “big lump” on December 11.
The 49-year-old said: “It was incredible and such a shock. I thought it was a seal at first, but as I got closer I saw it was huge and it was a walrus.
“It was absolutely amazing to see something like this, especially in these waters. I didn’t realize how rare it is to see a walrus here.
“It was nice to see, but something you never expected. I have never seen a walrus in the wild as they do not typically live in these areas. Seeing the walrus was a double moment.’
Local wildlife experts asked people not to disturb the creature after saying it appeared to be taking a break in Scarborough
The moment Thor finally returned to the sea after resting in the Yorkshire seaside town of Scarborough
The marine mammal arrived in Scarborough on Friday night and drew huge crowds into the harbor on New Year’s Eve
Scarborough’s New Year’s fireworks have been canceled so as not to disturb or harass the walrus
Thor is believed to have left his home in the Arctic Circle earlier this winter, possibly even traveling from Canada
It is believed to be the first time a walrus had been sighted in Yorkshire and a cordon was placed around it to keep the excited crowd from getting too close
British Divers Marine Life Rescue was at the scene alongside the coastguard and paramedics were examining the large mammal.
During its time on the beach, video showed the moment the walrus barked at a group of people who got a little too close.
His sighting was said to have been “extremely rare” and was thought to have returned to the Arctic Circle when he returned to the water hours later.
But Thor reappeared in the seaside town of Scarborough, Yorkshire on New Year’s Eve.
It is believed to be the first time a walrus has been sighted in Yorkshire.
Council officials canceled the city’s New Year’s fireworks display so as not to disturb the mammal, which is protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
On Saturday, local resident Richard Coulson, 51, said: “I live just around the corner from where it actually is and the traffic up and down our street – it’s like a summer’s day, it’s really swarming with cars and People . It’s amazing how much attention it’s gotten.
“It’s well protected – it’s been cordoned off so you can’t get closer than 20 feet.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen one. It’s huge. We see seals on the Scarborough seafront fairly regularly, but something of this size is enormous.
Thor arrived in Scarborough on Friday night and spent two days resting before returning to the water
Sea Life Scarborough Aquarium said its animal care team has been monitoring the walrus’ situation along with the RSPCA and British Divers Marine Life Rescue
“You respect nature when you see something of this size. His tusks are bigger than my arms.”
Stuart Ford, who runs boat tour agency Sealife Safari, said: “I went to my boat and there it was on the slipway – great. It must be half a ton.
“I think it’s a unique thing, seeing Scarborough for the first time.”
Sea Life Scarborough Aquarium said its animal care team has been monitoring the walrus’ situation along with the RSPCA and British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDLMR).
RSPCA Inspector Geoff Edmond, who was with the walrus Friday night and Saturday morning before it left, said it did not appear to be sick or injured and encouraged people to enjoy the sight from a respectful distance.
Mr Edmond said: “We understand that it’s exciting and unusual for the walrus to take temporary residence, but it’s in its best interest to be left alone as much as possible, so we’re asking people to do that remember it is a wild animal and avoid the temptation to approach and disturb it.
“We would also like to remind everyone that the walrus is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and therefore disturbing the animal can be a criminal offense.”
But Thor finally returned to the water on New Year’s Day and set out to cheers from the locals.
The walrus appeared a few times before finally disappearing into the darkness to continue its journey back to the Arctic Circle.
Thor the walrus making a brief stopover at Calshot beach in Hampshire, not far from Southampton
Members of public management have put up a cordon to protect the marine mammal at Calshot, which is protected under UK law
Beth Clyne, a BDLMR medic, tweeted: “Originally from the Arctic, ‘Thor’ the walrus arrived on the Scarborough harbor slipway on Friday night where he stayed for c18 hours to rest and regain his energy.
“Roughly young for a walrus, estimated to be around 8 years old, he may just be growing up.
“As medical professionals, we have also devoted a large part of our time to the public. I really enjoyed speaking and teaching to hundreds of interested, respectful members of the public. Some were kind enough to offer drinks, food and words of encouragement to keep us going in the rain and cold!
“Despite the crowds, he seemed relatively unaffected and comfortable, although he’d veered off the bumpy cobblestones and waddled over onto the flatter concrete a few times when the tide receded or he felt like a change
She added: “After teasing us for hours (I thought he was going to rest again) I was so excited and relieved when he finally got back to sea! We sprinted to the end of the harbor where we watched him come up a couple of times before disappearing into the darkness.’