AN Arctic walrus, who won fans when he was spotted in the waters off Co Kerry, has been sighted in Iceland.
Wally was last seen around Courtmacsherry and Clonakilty Bay in West Cork 22 days ago.
His latest location was confirmed by Sea Rescue Ireland.
The walrus was first spotted in Ireland, off the coast of Valentia Island, in March.
He was then seen trying to climb onto a fishing boat in Tenby harbour in Pembrokeshire.
He has since travelled 4,000km along the coast of western Europe, being sighted in France, Spain and the UK.
Yesterday, Seal Rescue Ireland confirmed that Wally had been spotted in Iceland.
"After 22 days with no confirmed sightings, we were starting to lose hope of ever seeing the young, wandering walrus again," it said on Twitter.
"It has been confirmed that this is Wally. Notice the similar scars on the front of both front flippers. We are absolutely over the moon that he's not only still alive and well, but he is well on his way home to the Arctic.
"He was seen swimming back out to sea last night (and even managed to avoid sinking any boats while he was there). We are so grateful to the many members of the public who have shown support and love for this walrus by giving him a safe place to rest and gather his strength. Thanks to his ability to feed and rest, he has successfully made the long stretch and will hopefully reunite with his own kind again soon."
