This Walrus on the Coast of Ireland Is All of Us After Daylight Saving Time

The tusked traveler somehow ended up in Ireland, likely after falling asleep on a fast-moving ice flow. By Austin Cannon March 15, 2021 Advertisement Pin FB More Tweet Email Send Text Message Print
walrus on beach warming in the sun Credit: micheldenijs / Getty

One look into the face of the walrus spotted on the Irish coast this weekend was the equivalent of gazing into the soul of every American on Monday. 

The tusked mammal's face says it all: Something has gone incredibly wrong, it's quite upsetting, and I am just so tired. 

For us, it's because we lost an hour of sleep to the despicable daylight saving time this weekend. It's more complicated for the walrus. These animals are usually found exclusively in the arctic, so one expert guesses this walrus arrived in Ireland after falling asleep on a drifting iceberg near Greenland.

Look, before the pandemic some of us may have, on occasion, woken up in an unfamiliar place after a night of fun. But, my goodness, imagine falling asleep and then waking up on an entirely different continent. Not good! Very bad in fact! 

Want a human equivalent? It's like a young student passing out on the morning school bus and sleeping through drop-off at school. Only instead of ending up at the bus barn, the kid wakes up on a beach two states away. 

Reports of the young walrus arriving at Valentia Island sprouted up Sunday. The animal appeared to be exhausted, and Kevin Flannery of Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium urged people to leave the walrus alone so it can regain strength, according to RTE News.

"Hopefully then, he can make his way home himself," he said. 

RTE reported Monday morning that people near the beach hadn't reported any sightings of the cow-sized seagoer. Hopefully, our buddy is on the way home after some much needed rest.