Valentia Island had a new visitor from Greenland drop in for a visit during the week.
Sightings of a walrus on Valentia Island, off the coast of Kerry, has created great excitement for residents.
The arctic walrus is believed to have travelled down to Ireland from Greenland, and it was island resident Alan Houlihan and his five-year-old daughter who were the first people to spot the new arrival. Speaking with RTÉ News, Alan says the walrus "is the size of a bull".
According to the report, arctic walruses being found here is rare but not strictly unheard of. The National Biodiversity Data Centre has 11 records of the animal on our shores, with the first recording dating back to 1897.
The walrus was first spotted on Monday by Alan and his daughter, but no more sightings have been made since. Whatever the case, the exotic arrival has created "walrus fever" across Valentia Island and the nation. It makes for a nice break from the mundanity we've been experiencing for the past little while.
According to experts, it's believed that the animal fell asleep on an iceberg while drifting across the Atlantic, and that's how he ended up on the island.
Here's the full report from RTÉ News about the walrus spotted off the coast of Kerry. It features one pretty great walrus impersonation.
