A wandering walrus, affectionately nicknamed ‘Thor’ by some residents, was encountered in Scarborough Harbour on the morning of December 31, 2022.
One local resident commented on the unusual sight, stating: “Unbelievable, once in a lifetime scenes this morning. An animal of such majesty, charm and power in equal measure.”
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Thor was the first walrus recorded in Yorkshire, having made his way from the Hampshire coast, where he had been spotted earlier in December – settling on a slipway in Scarborough harbour.
Scarborough Council cancelled its New Year’s Eve fireworks display to prevent the massive animal from becoming agitated and coming to harm and British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) put a cordon in place to protect the animal and requested that onlookers keep noise to a minimum.
BDMLR said that it was alerted to Thor’s arrival in North Yorkshire at 11.30pm on December 30 by staff from Scarborough Sealife, to which their initial response was: “Are you joking?”
The organisation explained that Thor moved his position in response to the changing tide, raising concerns at one point that he might head towards the public road at the top of the slipway.
It also noted that he “demonstrated some natural male behaviour over the evening”.
Thor on his trip to Scarborough (Image: Richard Horsman)
By 4pm on December 31, Thor was noted to be becoming more active and at 4.30pm, he sat up, turned around, and promptly slid off into the harbour.
A cheer erupted from the crowd as BDMLR medics scrambled with radios to track his direction, assisted by local youngsters who spotted him swimming and confirmed he had swum off out of the harbour.
Despite the excitement, police had to address “a small handful of difficult members of the public” and one individual who breached the cordon, attempting to access the walrus for photographs.
Throughout the day, the BDMLR remarked on the kindness of the public, who asked many questions and offered hot drinks and food, showing their appreciation for the efforts made to protect Thor.
Thor in Blyth later that year. (Image: PA)
The overwhelming majority of visitors behaved respectfully, with crowds reportedly numbering at least 350, and at one point exceeding 500.
It was estimated that several thousand people had attended over the course of the day. The BDMLR praised the local council for swiftly agreeing to the cancellation of the fireworks display, which was seen as a significant step forward for animal welfare.
Humberside Police Sergeant Jenna Jones said: “Having starting Operation Seabird on the Yorkshire Coast to prevent disturbances to our seabirds and marine mammals it was an unbelievable privilege to support colleagues and volunteers ensuring Thor was healthy & undisturbed.
“I thank the public for keeping your distance & all your questions. You certainly tested my walrus knowledge!”
He was later spotted further up the coast in Blyth in early January 2023.