Unusual bather: the first walrus relaxes on the beach in Rügen
Created: 06/18/2022Updated: 06/18/2022 15:07
By: Sina Lück
Many bathers go on vacation on the German Baltic Sea island of Rügen.
But there has never been a walrus on the beach.
Rügen (Mecklenburg-West Pomerania) – An unusual bather has appeared on Rügen.
For the first time, a walrus has made itself comfortable on the beach.
For the islanders, this comes as a big surprise - albeit not a pleasant one.
Because the appearance of the marine mammal on the West Pomeranian Baltic Sea coast has a serious background.
A walrus has made itself comfortable on the beach of Rügen.
© Enrico Spiering/dpa
Unusual bather: the first walrus relaxes on the beach in Rügen
When the German Maritime Museum in Stralsund received a report from an attentive observer, an employee and a veterinarian set off immediately.
And indeed: On the beach of Rügen there is a walrus that is more than two meters long.
The experts suspect that it is a female animal resting on land.
A baby seal got lost on the street in San Rafael, USA.
"As unusual as a walrus is on our coast, it is important that it can rest here undisturbed," says Dr.
Michael Dähne, curator for marine mammals at the German Maritime Museum.
Therefore, the section of beach where the walrus is located is generously cordoned off.
In consultation with the responsible authorities, the sea dweller is now being observed - just like the first baby seals that are counted from the air on the North Sea coast of Lower Saxony.
Unusual bather: Climate change causes walruses to migrate
As reported by the German Maritime Museum, a walrus was recently sighted on the southwestern coast of Sweden.
However, the tusks of different lengths indicate that they are not one and the same animal.
Researchers see the reason for such migrations in the loss of permanent ice as a habitat.
Because walruses are mainly native to the polar areas of the Atlantic and Pacific and are only rarely observed in the North Sea or as far as the Skagerrak.
"Climate change will probably lead to drastic changes in the seasonal migrations and habitats of walruses and polar bears," explains Dähne.
In the event of a sighting, it is therefore all the more important to keep your distance and not unnecessarily disturb the resting marine mammals.
