'Thor' the Walrus spotted on Hampshire beach amidst freezing weather

A walrus has been seen swimming and resting at a Hampshire beach.

The large creature, nicknamed Thor, was filmed by passers-by at Calshot in the early hours of Sunday (11 December).

Nobody knows if Thor is actually male or female because no one so far has been able to get close enough with a long lens camera to find out.

Walruses normally live in and around the Arctic circle and scientists say it is rare that they come this far South although there have been several instances over the past few years.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue scientists have tracked Thor for just over a month - logging his journey to the UK via the Netherlands and France.

Molly Gray, British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said: "This is the third walrus we've seen in the last two years - and the 4th in Europe - and we wouldn't have thought that the weather down here would be cold enough for them but I guess with climate change, things change and it seems to be becoming a bit more of a regular occurrence."

Advice for people who see Thor or any other walrus, is to keep their distance and leave them alone and give them space, as they can become aggressive if stressed.