Thor’s wrath! Moment walrus named after Norse god grunts at fisherman who got ‘a bit too close’ as he filmed him relaxing on a British beach
- Thor the walrus grunted at fisherman Darren Mckell and his family on Sunday
- The trio appeared to get too close to Thor after finding him on Calshot Beach
- Thor let out a loud ‘grunt,’ warning the group to step back while he tried to rest
Video shows the moment a walrus called Thor grunted at a group of Brits who found him laying on a beach.
The group found Thor on Calshot Beach in Hampshire early Sunday morning. They were filming him as they approached.
But it appears the trio got a little too close because the walrus let out a loud grunt, prompting them to step back.
Despite the marine mammal seemingly warning the group to leave him alone, fisherman Darren Mckell described seeing him as a ‘double-take moment.’
FISHERMEN AND WOMAN LEFT SHOCKED AS WALRUS SPOTTED ON CALSHOT BEACH Hampshire and IoW News Three friends have been left stunned this morning after a Walrus was spotted in the Solent at 6.50am on Calshot beach as Darren Mckell set off for a day of fishing. The last known sighting of a Walrus reaching the UK is said to have been in March 2021 when one was seen off the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales. The large gregarious marine mammal is related to the eared seals, having two large downward-pointing tusks and is usually only found in the Arctic Ocean. Members of the public are urged not to approach and to expect the Walrus no be alone. Walruses are extremely social animals. They haul out in tight groups when on land or ice and usually travel at sea in groups as well. There is significant sexual segregation outside the breeding season. Solitary individuals can be seen on occasion on the ice or in the water; these are usually adult males. First to the rescue, crews from the RNLI Calshot also sighted the Walrus and were thanked for their efforts to keep him safe and contacting the Marine rescuer advisers, the RSPCA did not wish to attend. Thor the Walrus has been sighted at a number of locations prior to Calshot today including four days ago in Dover and yesterday he was seen in Chichester Harbour, experts say he is looking well. The public were thanked for their respect and the space given to go and see Thor who was not faced by onlookers and spent around six hours on Calshot beach beside the fisherman who continued, before setting of on his adventure back to the Arctic circle. Waterside Police said; “Thank you to those who were respectful and kept their distance from Wally whilst he rested.” The Rescue charity took the opportunity to educate the public on both Thor and their work across the South Coast. The large gregarious marine mammal is related to the eared seals, having two large downward-pointing tusks and is usually only found in the Arctic Ocean. Marine Life Rescue advisors were at the beach and Steve Blanchard was asked why is he here. You can help support our wildlife and marine life by donating to the WWF (World Wildlife Foundation) here; https://support.wwf.org.uk/donate WWF Sealifeth Seal Sanctuary Cornwall #HAMPSHIRE #CALSHOT #HAMPSHIRENEWS #WALRUS #HAMPSHIREANDIOWNEWS
Video shows the moment a walrus called Thor grunted at a group of Brits who found him laying on a beach
Mr Mckell was out with his wife Caroline and son Luke around 6.50am on Sunday when they spotted the ‘big lump’ near the Solent river.
The group, with phone camera in hand, approached Thor as he rested near the water.
However, Thor was seemingly threatened by the group and released a loud grunt when they got too close for his comfort.
The trio appeared to step back, leaving Thor alone on the beach.
Crews from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s Calshot station and Marine rescuer advisers were called to the scene, who took steps to keep Thor safe.
The walrus spent around six hours on the beach before continuing his journey to the Artic Circle, Hampshire And Iow News reported.
Visitors were said to have been ‘respectful and kept their distance’ from Thor while he ‘rested.’
Mr Mckell was out with his wife Caroline and son Luke around 6.50am on Sunday when they spotted the ‘big lump’ near the Solent river. However, Thor was seemingly threatened by the group and released a loud grunt when they got too close for his comfort
Crews from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s Calshot station and Marine rescuer advisers were called to the scene, who took steps to keep Thor safe. Members of the public are seen observing Thor as he rests
Walruses tend to live in and around the Arctic circle and it is rare for them to come this far south.
‘It was unbelievable and such a shock,’ Mr Mckell recalled after discovering Thor. ‘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 that, especially in these waters. I hadn’t realised how rare it was to see a walrus here.
‘It was lovely to see but something you’d never expect. I’ve never seen a walrus in the wild as they don’t normally live in these areas.
‘Seeing the walrus was a double-take moment.’
Thor was reportedly spotted in the UK twice before Mr Mckell found him on Calshot beach. The walrus is pictured napping on the beach
Prior to his adventures in Britain, Thor (pictured at Calshot beach) was spotted in the Netherlands on November 6 and had been travelling along the coast of France as far as Brittany in the last few weeks
Thor was spotted in the UK twice before Mr Mckell found him on Calshot beach, according to Hampshire And Iow News.
He was reportedly seen in Chichester Harbour on Saturday and Dover on Wednesday.
Prior to his adventures in Britain, Thor was spotted in the Netherlands on November 6 and had been travelling along the coast of France as far as Brittany in the last few weeks.
Wildlife experts say walruses travel long distances and have rest stops to recover and regain energy before moving on again.
Last year, two walruses visited the UK – Wally, who came to south Wales and the Isles of Scilly and Freya, who visited Northumberland and Shetland.
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