Huge walrus nicknamed Thor spotted on Hampshire beach while resting during journey

A huge walrus nicknamed Thor was spotted resting on a Hampshire beach as it took a break after travelling from the Netherlands and France.

The creature was found at Calshot in the early hours of Sunday, prompting experts to warn members of the public to stay away from it.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said the walrus was first spotted in the Netherlands on 6 November and had been travelling along the coast of France as far as Brittany in the last few weeks.

The charity said it needed to regain its strength before making its next journey.

It later reported that Thor had set off again and they did not know where he had gone, but it was possible he could appear somewhere along the coast again later on.

Posting pictures of the huge animal on the beach, BDMLR said key advice was always to give it a "very wide berth" to avoid disturbing it.

It said: "They travel long distances and have rest stops to recover and regain energy before moving on again.

"Every time it is disturbed by people being too close or noisy will impact it’s chances of survival. Walruses are protected from disturbance under UK law."

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The charity said 2021 two walruses had visited the UK - one called Wally which went to south Wales and the Isles of Scilly and another dubbed Freya who visited Northumberland and Shetland.

"Wally required very involved management from welfare groups on the ground to keep him and people safe until he moved on successfully," it added.

"In contrast, Freya returned to Norway where a critical lack of management of her situation led to large crowds often gathered closely around her. She was killed by Norwegian authorities in August as she was deemed to be a danger to the public. BDMLR and colleagues started an open letter and petition to Norway asking for detailed explanations as to why management measures were not implemented, and can be viewed here.

"Of course we do not know how long Thor will be around the UK, but while he/she is here we ask everyone to behave sensibly and responsibly for their safety as well as that of the walrus to avoid a worst case scenario occurring.

"If you do happen to spot it, don't share the location on social media but stay well clear and contact us."