Wandering walrus makes a new stop on tour of Scotland

A walrus which is starting to become a familiar sight along the coastline of north-east Scotland has popped up in the harbour of another Moray village.

Magnus, as he is now known, made his latest appearance in the waters at Hopeman Harbour.

The young mammal has been spotted jumping off the top of the harbour wall, trying to get on to a pontoon and sunbathing on a nearby rock.

The British Divers Marine Life Rescue team said the walrus was believed to be the same one seen earlier this week near Fraserburgh, Lossiemouth last week and Orkney the week before.

Cath Bain from the charity said the walrus seemed to be in overall good condition and some of its older wounds had now healed.

She added that they were rare visitors to our waters and were protected under law -and that the walrus should be given space and peace to recuperate after a long journey.

Experts have said the young male is likely to be "just exploring" the area.

Along the way he is starting to prove something of a celebrity and draw crowds to watch him.

Walruses are occasional visitors to UK shores, with sightings increasing in recent years.

One theory is that this is due to the loss of sea ice habitats in the Arctic.

This particular walrus is estimated to be about 8ft (2.5m) long.

Bain said that "vagrant walruses" were not a new thing but what was new was social media and how quickly word got around when one was in an area.