Thor the Walrus photograph wins national award

Will Palmer had to lie on the cobbles in Scarborough's harbour to capture Thor on camera

An image of a walrus whose antics led to the cancellation of a town's New Year's Eve fireworks display has been judged one of last year's best wildlife photographs.

The Arctic walrus, known as Thor, caused a stir after it took up residence in the harbour at Scarborough on the last day of 2022.

Will Palmer's picture of Thor, called What’s All the Fuss About?, has been named runner-up in the urban wildlife category of the British Wildlife Photography Awards.

Mr Palmer, from Scarborough, who was one of the first people to see Thor after his arrival, said it was "really special" to win the national award.

The giant mammal drew huge crowds to the seaside town after being spotted on New Year's Eve in 2022, in what was thought to be the first sighting of a walrus in Yorkshire.

The animal was believed to the same walrus who had been spotted on the Hampshire coastline earlier that month.

A cordon was put around Thor after sightseers turned up to catch a glimpse, with one local comparing the crowds in the coastal resort to those usually seen on a summer's day.

Wildlife experts suggested the walrus was "taking a break" before heading further north.

As a result, Scarborough's new year fireworks display was cancelled out of concern for Thor.

The British Divers Marine Life Rescue organisation had warned the show could cause "distress" to the mammal.

Thor's eye view

After hearing of the British Wildlife Photography Awards accolade, Mr Palmer told BBC Radio York it was "always great to be recognised for your work".

"Being from Scarborough, it's nice to have a photo from the local area pick up something nationally," he added.

Mr Palmer explained that in order to capture the moment, he had to lie on the harbour's cobbles at Thor's eye level, about 15-20ft (4.5-6m) away from the walrus.

The picture was taken at about 02:00 GMT, capturing the landmark harbour view behind.

"When you're lying on your stomach in front of him, you realise how large Thor really was," Mr Palmer said.

The mammal was later observed returning to the sea in Scarborough and a walrus believed to be Thor was spotted in Iceland in February 2023.

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