He charmed the Scottish coast for weeks, rolling off pontoons and scratching himself against harbour posts. Now Magnus the walrus has packed up and crossed the North Sea, turning up in Norway with the same carefree energy that made him a viral sensation. And if his travel history tells us anything, this journey is far from over.
Scotland Tour That Turned Magnus Into a Star
Magnus got his name after first appearing in Orkney on St Magnus Day, April 16, when he hauled himself onto Stronsay’s pier. It was the kind of arrival that stops people in their tracks. Concerns were initially raised about the condition of the Arctic visitor after a wound was spotted on one of his flippers, with what appeared to be a large amount of blood pooled underneath his body, leading to fears that a graver injury may have been sustained to his chest or abdomen. However, a spokesperson for BDMLR later confirmed the animal appeared to be in good health, with the injury appearing to be minor and expected to heal on its own in saltwater. Once the health scare passed, Magnus quickly became Scotland’s most talked-about visitor. Measuring an estimated 8ft in length and weighing several hundred kilograms, he was first spotted in Lossiemouth on April 21, where his arrival led to the town’s marina being temporarily cordoned off. After departing the following day, he reappeared near Macduff just 24 hours later before moving on again. He was then sighted in Findochty, marking yet another stop in his unusual tour of the region. His stops did not end there. Magnus also visited Fraserburgh, Hopeman, and Findochty before finally departing Scottish waters altogether. His visit to Findochty Harbour grabbed the attention of not only the village itself but local primary school kids, with around 100 youngsters making their way to the harbour to see what they could learn about the distinguished and unusual guest as he rested on a pontoon.
The 300-Mile Crossing Nobody Expected This Fast
Just when Scotland thought it had seen the last of Magnus, Norway got the news. This particular walrus is estimated to be about 8ft or 2.5 metres long, and he has just completed a journey of over 300 miles across the open North Sea. **Norwegian photographer Åge Jakobsen captured Magnus resting at Buerholmen at Hidra, and the images quickly spread across social media.** Jakobsen said he went out specifically to find and photograph the walrus, and described the experience as quite different from his usual bird photography since there was no risk of the subject flying away. He noted Magnus looked really tired from the journey but appeared to be having a great time soaking up the sun on the floating dock. Walruses depend on long, uninterrupted periods of rest to recover energy reserves, and repeated disturbance from people approaching too closely, noise, or drones can cause stress or force them to relocate, using up valuable energy and potentially impacting their ability to continue travelling, feed effectively, and ultimately survive. Here is a quick snapshot of Magnus’s remarkable journey so far:
- April 16: First spotted at Stronsay, Orkney (named on St Magnus Day)
- April 21: Arrived at Lossiemouth Marina, spent the night
- April 23: Appeared at Macduff Harbour
- Late April: Sighted at Fraserburgh, Findochty, and Hopeman
- May 2026: Crossed the North Sea and arrived at Buerholmen, Hidra, Norway
Why Walruses Keep Showing Up in UK and European Waters
Magnus is not a one-off oddity. There have been at least 27 sightings of walruses in UK waters during the last 130 years, with a number of individuals making headlines recently. As with previous Arctic visitors, Magnus is likely a young animal travelling in unfamiliar waters. Walruses are occasional visitors to UK shores, with sightings increasing in recent years, thought to be linked to the loss of sea ice habitats in the Arctic. WWF Chief Adviser for Polar and Oceans Rod Downie suspects Magnus has come down from Svalbard in the Norwegian Arctic. However, his view on the climate link is more nuanced than many assume. “I don’t buy the argument that this is driven by climate change,” Downie said. “If this was climate related, they would be heading north to colder waters, not south into even warmer waters. That said, their home is the fastest warming place on the planet.” Downie’s simpler explanation is that Magnus is just exploring. One expert noted that a possible reason Magnus preferred to haul out on harbour pontoons is because it may feel a bit like a floating iceberg. Scotland is not really his natural habitat. It is a bit too far south and too warm, which is a strange thing to say about Scotland. A single adult walrus can consume thousands of clams in one feeding session, eating up to 3-6% of their body weight per day. The good news is that UK waters are not without suitable food, and previous walrus visitors that stayed for extended periods did not lose condition, suggesting they fed successfully.
Norway Has Seen This Before and the Stakes Are High
Magnus is not the first walrus to make this kind of trans-national journey. In recent years, three well-known individuals named Wally, Freya, and Thor all passed through the UK, hauling out in several locations, sometimes spending weeks in the area where they became significant public attractions requiring intensive management. Wally and Thor were later seen in Iceland. But the story of Freya carries a far more sobering lesson. Freya was a young female walrus who appeared along the coasts of several western European countries from October 2021 until her death on 14 August 2022. Authorities continuously warned members of the public to stay away from Freya but onlookers continued to approach her. On-site observations by authorities finally concluded that the public had disregarded the current recommendation to keep a clear distance to the walrus, and concluded that the possibility for potential harm to people was high and that animal welfare was not being maintained. She was shot by Norwegian officials that same month. **The Freya tragedy is a warning that should not be forgotten as Magnus takes his rest in Norway.** Anyone who spots the walrus is advised to remain at least 100 metres away, stay quiet, avoid sudden movement, keep dogs on leads, and avoid getting between the creature and the sea. The Orkney Marine Mammal Research Initiative noted this was the third time a walrus visited Orkney in the last decade. The last walrus to visit Orkney before Magnus was in March 2018, when an animal briefly stopped at North Ronaldsay before making its way to Sanday. Before that, it was 2013, also in North Ronaldsay. Magnus has already covered more than 1,000 miles since leaving his likely home in the Norwegian Arctic. He has been fat, well-conditioned, and seemingly thriving every step of the way. The people of Scotland gave him warmth, space, and genuine curiosity. Whether Norway does the same could determine whether his story ends like Thor’s, with a peaceful journey home, or like Freya’s, in tragedy. The next chapter of this remarkable Arctic adventure is being written right now on a floating dock off the coast of Hidra, where a very tired but very alive walrus is simply trying to rest. What do you think about Magnus’s incredible journey? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and share this story with a friend who loves wildlife.
