Unusual visit: A walrus was spotted off the coast of Baltrum. Now it’s gone again. Researchers hope it will find its way back to the North Pole safely.
Baltrum – For the first time in more than 20 years, a walrus has appeared in the German Wadden Sea. The brown, massive animal with a mustache and tusks rested for hours on the North Sea island of Baltrum. It slept on a groyne – a coastal defense system – in the west of the island.
Presumably it had covered several thousand kilometers, because walruses actually live around the North Pole. Compared to the native harbor seals and gray seals, they are significantly larger and heavier.
“Walruses can travel long distances and are also quite mobile within the Arctic habitat,” says Ursula Siebert, expert on marine mammals at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (Tiho). The last time a walrus was seen in the southern North Sea – namely on Juist and on Sylt – was in 1998. “These are mostly adventurous younger animals that stay for a while when they are comfortable,” says the scientist.
Heinz Ideus is dune and bird warden on the smallest East Frisian island of Baltrum. During the walrus’ flying visit on Tuesday, he made sure that no one approached the rare guest. The animal, which from a distance looked like a huge sack of potatoes, immediately attracted dozens of onlookers.
Walrus needed rest
The massive walrus lady had abrasions on her front fins, but otherwise looked healthy. She is said to have even approached a fisherman with curiosity. “When a dog barked, the walrus lifted its head attentively,” reports the director of the National Park Center on Baltrum, Karen Kammer. “Unfortunately, a boat then said it had to approach.” But the animal needed its rest.
“At 12.30 p.m. we had high tide. Around 1.30pm to 2.00pm the walrus swam away again, ”says Dünenwart Ideus. “It would be nice that it finds its way home, or at least that it finds its comrades.” Island Mayor Harm Olchers sees it similarly: “It was a crowd puller, but it doesn’t belong here.”
A walrus has also been making headlines on the Atlantic coast for a few months. The male has been spotted in Wales and Ireland, among others, and has since been christened Wally. There is even a video in which this walrus appears to be trying to climb into a boat. The female from Baltrum is said to have been seen previously in Denmark.
Climate change could force migration
There have always been isolated Arctic residents who get lost in the south. However, climate change could lead to larger, forced migration. In Russia and Canada, for example, polar bears are increasingly invading villages in search of food. Walruses no longer have enough resting places, lie crowded on rocks and die in mass panics caused by disturbances. The increased shipping and oil production in the Arctic is also a problem for the endangered animals, according to the WWF.
“The polar bear has already been well researched, but it is amazing how little we know about the walrus,” says Tiho professor Siebert. Therefore, among other things, a project to research marine mammals in cooperation with Russia is being planned at the Tiho Hannover. Ice floes are actually typical resting places for walruses, but they are increasingly missing due to the warming of the arctic waters. “It is very sad that the living space under the body is melting away for the animals.” Dpa
