Wally the walrus continues to take boats and sink them.

Imagine enjoying a good float on a boat almost near the Arctic, when you observe a gynecous Arctic walrus rising out of the water and boarding a nearby boat.

What do you do besides take out the camera and make a video?

This is the Wally walrus, as it is known, and this boat is somewhere on the coast of the United Kingdom. The Arctic juvenile walrus was first seen in March and has been seen along the coast of Western Europe to southern Spain, according to the BBC, but appears to be returning north, hopefully, to its native habitat. It’s doing well, but there’s a problem: it’s been done at home with people’s boats and, unsurprisingly considering its size, it’s sinking some of it.

Walruses live much of their lives swimming in the water, but they need surfaces to rest. In the Arctic they will relax on floating chunks of ice, but in the waters of the sea surrounding the British Isles, Wally continues to try to park his massive self on ships that do not belong to him.

According to the Irish examiner, British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) in the UK provided a floating pontoon for Wally during the six weeks he spent in the Isles of Scilly this summer. Now hanging on the coast of Ireland, Seal Rescue Ireland (SRI) has secured an unused pontoon for Wally’s use and perfumed it with towels from a ship he had recently used (and sunk).

SRI collaborates with other wildlife groups to try to help keep Wally safe as she returns to where she came from.

“We had never done it before, so there is a lot to learn as we move forward,” SRI Executive Director Melanie Croce told the Ireland Examiner.

“We wish we could let him continue with his natural behaviors, but when his location is known, a situation arises in which we must intervene.

“We only intervene when human interactions with it threaten to disturb it. Our priority is animal welfare.”

Sailors are asked to stay 100-500 m away from Wally and not to publicly announce observation sites until the designated floating vessel can be deployed for him.

Wally the walrus gets on our boat in the Isles of Scilly

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Too many people congregating to see him could interfere with Wally’s ability to go where he needs to go, in addition to causing him unnecessary distress.

Wally has traveled thousands of miles and still has a long way to go if he gets home. Poor Wally doesn’t mean it’s a nuisance – she just sinks and needs a place to put her tired head.

Good for wildlife protectors to find a way to give the big boy a place to rest and to advise everyone that Wally find his way without human interference.

Wally continues Walrus tour of Europe (8) (Isles of Scilly) – ITV News – July 6, 2021

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Good luck, Wally. I hope you find your way home soon.