A walrus named Wally sailed in Ireland to everyone's amusement

Wally, the walrus has made Irish waters his home, and the locals aren’t mad at him.

When you think of Ireland’s wildlife, the walrus may not be the first or even the last animal that comes to mind. But these days, there’s a new visitor making waves, literally, along the Irish coast. Locals have affectionately called him Wally.

Wally has been a prominent feature in European waters for the past few months after he drifted from his Arctic home in Greenland. People say he may have overslept on an iceberg and drifted south. Although it wasn’t what he was used to, Wally could relax and unwind quite happily in his new environment.

He came for adventure and stayed for popularity.
After crossing the iceberg, Wally made friends all over the Irish coast. His most recent appearance was in the waters near Clonakilty Distillery in Cork. The staffs at the distillery were shocked but delighted to see the big softy.

Captain Wally strikes again.
Staffs from the distillery saw Wally climb aboard one of their anchored boats recently and jumped at the chance to take some truly amazing photos. The walrus seemed to enjoy being stretched out on the boat resting his fins. This is Wally’s world, and we all just living in it.

The locals love Wally’s presence.
Adam Collins, a spokesman for Clonakilty Distillery, was surprised to see a walrus command one of their boats. Photos of the daring walrus give us a little glimpse into his personality, which can be classified as brave, adventurous, tired and exhausted.

“It was certainly a surprise… Wally had been spotted in Irish waters before, but we never thought in a million years we would see him here, especially in one of our team’s boats”, Collins said.

As you can see, Wally is not a small fellow. In fact, he is quite giant. Although he tended to tilt the boat when he was sprawled out in the sun, he didn’t mind.

“He seemed pretty comfortable, just getting cold in the boat,” Collins said.
Walruses tend to climb on ice or beaches to rest. With no ice or beaches near the distillery, the boats are Wally’s best bet. They also allow visitors, locals and tourists to get a better look at this amazing traveller.

Wally is welcome at The Clonakilty Distillery any time.
Although he took over their boat for the day, the owners weren’t upset. No damage was reported from Wally’s visit, and it was a sight they would soon forget.

“Thankfully, no damage happened to the boat… We’d be happy to let him stay and relax!”
“It was a great experience just meeting him.” – Collins added.