HELSINKI — A white beluga whale named “Hvaldimir,” initially discovered in Norway close to Russian waters wearing a harness that sparked suspicions of it being a Moscow spy, has been found dead.
The Norwegian public broadcaster NRK reported that the whale’s carcass was discovered floating in Risavika Bay in southern Norway on Saturday by a father and son who were fishing.
The beluga, named by combining the Norwegian word for whale—hval—and Russian President Putin’s first name Vladimir, was lifted out of the water using a crane and transported to a nearby harbor for examination by experts.
“Unfortunately, we found Hvaldimir floating in the sea. He has passed away, but it’s not immediately clear what the cause of death is,” marine biologist Sebastian Strand told NRK, adding that no significant external injuries were visible on the animal.
Strand, who has been monitoring Hvaldimir’s movements for the past three years on behalf of the Norway-based Marine Mind non-profit organization, expressed deep sadness about the whale’s sudden demise.
“It’s absolutely horrible,” Strand said. “He was apparently in good condition as of (Friday). So we just have to figure out what might have happened here.”
The 4.2-meter (14-foot) long and 1,225-kilogram (2,700-pound) whale was first spotted by fishermen near the northern island of Ingøya, not far from the Arctic city of Hammerfest, in April 2019, wearing a harness and what appeared to be a mount for a small camera and a buckle marked with the text “Equipment St. Petersburg.”
This sparked allegations that the beluga was “a spy whale.” Experts confirmed that the Russian navy is known to train whales for military purposes.
Over the years, the beluga was sighted in several Norwegian coastal towns, and it became evident that he was exceptionally tame and enjoyed interacting with people, NRK reported.
NGO Marine Mind stated on its website that Hvaldimir displayed a strong interest in humans and responded to hand signals.
“Based on these observations, it appeared as if Hvaldimir arrived in Norway by crossing over from Russian waters, where it is presumed he was held in captivity,” the organization stated.
Norwegian media have speculated whether Hvaldimir could have been used as “a therapy whale” of some sort in Russia.