What can Cornwall learn from Wally’s Welsh trip?

Linda Compton and her daughter Amy watched over Wally the whole time he was in Tenby

Wales has said goodbye to Wally the walrus, but as he goes words of advice have been sent to his new Cornish home.

The Arctic Walrus has been spotted near Padstow, after the tusked-tourist spent weeks sunbathing in Pembrokeshire.

Animal lovers in Tenby had pleaded with people to stop getting dangerously close to Wally to pose for selfies.

But Wally's presence spent also paid dividends for local businesses, who have created a range of memorabilia to remember the marine mammal's visit.

Dozens of people though, were recorded causing the animal distress, which the RSPCA said could constitute a criminal offence.

Linda Compton and her daughter Amy spent six weeks watching over Wally, monitoring him for up to 14 hours a day.

Linda said that 99% of onlookers were fine, "but you've got 1% who want to push it and get that bit too close".

The pair, who live in nearby Carew, Pembrokeshire, volunteer with Welsh Marine Life Rescue (WMLR) and tirelessly guarded the walrus, after it appeared in the Welsh coastal town in March, from unwanted attention.

Linda, a 59-year-old learning support assistant, told BBC Wales she had seen people trying to swim, paddleboard, kayak, jet ski and even sail up to Wally to pose for selfies.

One woman even told her two children to swim out to Wally while others have flown drones just feet above the marine mammal's head, she said.

People used various methods of getting close to Wally - sometimes dangerously close

Amy, a trampoline instructor who is unable to work because of lockdown, recorded incidents on camera which were initially passed on to Tenby's harbour master.

In total, the 22-year-old estimates she took more than 20,000 images of Wally.

Daily contact with police

The pair contacted the RSPCA before they began dealing directly with Dyfed-Powys Police earlier this month.

The force told BBC Wales it had received reports from the WMLR and "inquiries are ongoing".

When confronting onlookers, Linda said she and Amy would first try to "warn them off", but "unfortunately we get the abuse - but everything is filmed and sent to the authorities".

She warned people that getting too close to the creature could put them in danger.

"He's a very powerful animal," she said.

"He's an unknown entity. We don't know how he would actually react to somebody going that close."

Linda revealed that when challenged about getting too close to Wally, some people reacted abusively

While a minority of people have distressed the walrus, Linda explained that "99% of the people have been amazing. They just want the experience to see a walrus in our waters".

Now that Wally has moved on, Tenby no longer has its local celebrity, but Linda said "it's been great for the town since Wally's been here".

"After the difficult times of Covid and lockdown Wally appearing here has just been fantastic," she added.

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This view was shared by many of the towns small businesses - who rely almost solely on the 4.2m visitors who flock to the area each year, according to Visit Pembrokeshire.

John Mather, who owns The Nook gift shop, said: "It's just been great after the difficult times of Covid and lockdown Wally appearing here has just been fantastic."

Just a few days after Wally arrived in March, one of Mr Mather's suppliers suggested making cushions featuring a walrus.

He agreed and when they "flew off the shelves" he immediately ordered more.

Wally's arrival has been great for Tenby's tourism industry with him featuring on postcards, cushions and even beer

He and other shops have since branched out into postcards, pictures, mugs and T-shirts, which all feature Wally.

He told BBC Wales: "We've had people coming here from all over the country just solely to see the walrus.

"And then coming and visiting our shops which has been fantastic.

"It's good for the whole town. People come, they stay here, they're eating in the restaurants, they're using the takeaways - it's really good."

As well as memorabilia, Wally's fame has led to Tenby's Harbwr brewery to name a beer in his honour.

Tamar's Tusk also pays tribute to the Tamar class of lifeboat which the town's RNLI station uses.

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