'Lucky' man makes 'ultra-rare' discovery in Welsh seaside town – and can't believe it

A man was left gobsmacked after making an ultra-rare discovery in a Welsh seaside town.

James Cook couldn't believe his eyes after making a trip to Tenby to take in the morning sunshine. The video creator, who boasts 294,700 followers on TikTok, spotted a walrus chilling by the water as he described it as "completely surreal".

In a post, he revealed how the sighting has happened less than 10 times in the last 30 years. He continued: "There's an actual walrus, actually don't believe this. This is just, this is really surreal. It's incredible, just completely unreal."

According to multiple sources, walruses are rarely seen in the UK, but have been spotted in the past. Back in 2022, a walrus named Thor was found in Calshot, Hampshire, then in Scarborough, Yorkshire, on New Year's Eve.

Meanwhile a year before, Wally the walrus was seen on the west coast of the UK and Ireland, and even made it as far as northern Spain. Walruses are typically found in the Arctic Circle but with climate change, it can really depend.

But James was left star-struck when he saw the walrus as he added: "Actually don't believe this. This is rare as rare gets really and it's a privilege to see this right now, just basking in the sun this morning in Tenby."

Since he shared the post, under the handle @wildlifewithcookie, it racked up 157,000 likes and 1,500 comments. One person said: "The power of Wales," while another added: "Wow." Others, however, didn't seem too phased by the discovery.

Someone posted: "It's there every year," while a second chimed in: "Brother got me excited over a walrus." Then a third posted: "That walrus comes to Tenby to that same spot regularly."

Scientists say it's unlikely that walruses will become a regular sight in the UK, as the British Isles are probably too far south for a population to establish. But if you see a walrus in the UK, you should:

• Keep a safe distance from the animal
• Don't post the walrus' location on social media
• Give the walrus space and rest so it can build up its strength