An arctic walrus has been spotted by a five-year-old girl in Ireland

Muireann spotted the walrus on a walk

An arctic walrus has been spotted off the coast of Ireland.

A marine biologist thinks that the walrus may have fallen asleep on an iceberg and drifted down to the Irish coast!

The Irish Whale and Dolphin group (IWDG) said that "walrus sightings here are extremely rare" and that this was only the third time a walrus had been officially recorded in Ireland since 1999.

The walrus was spotted by a five-year-old girl called Muireann, and her dad, whilst out on a walk.

Muireann's dad said that seeing the creature was "mind-blowing" and that after it "disappeared into the sea for a while" it then stayed "on a rock for a good couple of hours".

"The size of the thing was astronomical. It was the size of a big bull," he added.

The IWDG think the walrus is a young adult, but could not tell if it was male or female, as both have tusks.

Walruses use their long tusks to help pull themselves out of the water and onto the ice, and to defend themselves against predators.

Muireann has suggested it should be called Isabelle if it's a girl, and Cian if it's a boy!

"We would ask members of the public fortunate enough to see it to observe this wayward traveller from a safe distance and to give it the space it requires," said a member of the IWDG.