Wally the Walrus finally returning to Arctic after being spotted in Iceland

Wally the walrus has been spotted in Iceland giving light to hopes he is finally returning to the Arctic.The 800kg walrus became a hit with tourists after it toured Ireland, Wales, Devon, France and the Scilly Isles on a summer tour.Wally arrived in Wales in March where he became an overnight sensation.

He spent around two months off the coast of Pembrokeshire and was frequently seen in Tenby, where he quickly became the town's top attraction.

The animal was pictured capsizing an inflatable dinghy boat and attempting to climb aboard a fishing boat, as well as balancing a starfish on its nose.

He was frequently found lounging on the the RNLI slipway and drawing in large crowds of admirers.

Wally was later spotted off the coast of Cornwall.

From there he visited France and Spain before beginning the long journey west, stopping off on the Isle of Scilly. Seal Rescue Ireland has now revealed the walrus has finally been seen in Iceland after 22 days of no sightings.

A spokesman for the rescue team said he was identified from scars on his front flippers.He said: "It has been confirmed that this is Wally. Notice the similar scars on the front of both front flippers."We are absolutely over the moon that he's not only still alive and well, but he is well on his way home to the Arctic."Wally has travelled over 4,000km along the coast of western Europe, being spotted in France, Spain and other parts of the UK.

He was last seen near Cork with throngs of people turning out to catch a glimpse as he relaxed on a boat about 500 metres from the harbour.A purpose-built pontoon was previously made for him in Scilly in a bid to reduce damage he caused by climbing on boats.