Local authorities learned about the incident from members of the public who saw a man come out of the ice to approach the animal.
In Norway, a tourist visiting the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen was fined more than $1,100 for getting too close to a walrus, the BBC reports.
It is illegal to approach wildlife in Svalbard in a way that disturbs them.
The incident occurred near Longyearbyen, a northern city in the world.
Local authorities learned about the incident from members of the public who saw a man come out of the ice to approach the animal.
Svalbard’s environmental law states that all traffic on the archipelago must take place in a manner that does not disturb local wildlife, particularly polar bears, seals, whales, reindeer and arctic foxes.
Police prosecutor Magnus Rindal Fredriksen told the BBC that parts of the incident were observed by some of the governor’s staff. The offending tourist, a Polish citizen, was taken to the governor’s office where he paid a fine. Police believe the tourist did it because he was looking for a “good photo.”
Spring and summer are popular with Svalbard tourists, with many already visiting the mostly pristine archipelago.
Walruses in Svalbard began to be protected in 1952, when it became clear that there were only a few hundred of them left after more than three centuries of commercial exploitation.
The walrus population has been increasing since the measures were introduced, but the species remains on the Norwegian national red list.
Due to concerns about the impact of tourism and climate change, the Norwegian government has announced stricter rules that will come into effect next year, which include a ban on taking within 150 meters of a walrus.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.