Thor the Walrus | Photography Print

In the early hours of New Year's Eve 2022, we were walking along the harbour front of our hometown, Scarborough, when we noticed a small group of people gathered at the cobbled stone slipway. What we found stopped us in our tracks — a wild Arctic walrus, resting peacefully by the water's edge.

His name was Thor. He had travelled far from his Arctic home, and his long journey had somehow led him to the North Yorkshire Coast. In that moment, it was just us, him, a handful of quiet onlookers, and the dedicated teams from BDMLR, the RSPCA, and the Scarborough Sealife Centre, who were already there to monitor and protect him.

What struck us beyond the sheer disbelief of the moment was the scene before us — Thor's warm, weathered, pink and amber tones resting in quiet contrast against the cool blues of the harbour water and the soft glow of the boats and lights behind him. An Arctic wanderer and a Yorkshire harbour, two separate worlds meeting in one quiet, unexpected moment.

We chose not to share this photograph at the time. Thor's welfare came first, and we were cautious about drawing further attention to him. We watched from a respectful distance, barely breathing, and captured this image — Thor at rest, the harbour lights and boat reflections shimmering in the water behind him.

We went home that morning hoping Thor would slip away quietly before attracting too much attention — but Thor was in no hurry. He remained until midday. Inevitably, as word spread, a crowd of admirers gathered through the day — however despite the crowd, Thor's wellbeing was put first. A barrier was in place to keep a respectful distance, and the New Year's Eve firework display was cancelled out of concern for his welfare.

He left as majestically as he arrived, and his visit rippled far beyond our little harbour. Thor became a global sensation, featured in news broadcasts and publications worldwide. He even inspired his own musical.

We still can't quite believe we were there — in the dark and the cold, on the last morning of the year — when a magical Arctic tourist decided to visit Scarborough.

Printed on premium fine art paper with professional inks, every detail of Thor's warm form and the cool harbour light is preserved with gallery-quality clarity.

• All prints available in A4, A3, and A2
• A4 prints supplied with a 12" × 16" card mount (black or white)
• A3 prints supplied with a 20" × 16" card mount (black or white)
• A2 prints supplied unmounted
• All photographic print orders are printed and hand-mounted to order
• All photographic print orders shipped in specialist protective art packaging