HELSINKI (AP) — A white beluga whale named “Hvaldimir,” first spotted in Norway, not far from Russian waters, wearing a harness that sparked rumors he was a spy for Moscow, has been found dead.
Norwegian public broadcaster NRK reported that the whale’s carcass was found floating in Risavika Bay in southern Norway on Saturday by a father and son who were fishing.
The beluga, named after the Norwegian word for whale — hval — and Russian President Putin’s first name, Vladimir, was lifted from the water by crane and taken to a nearby port, where experts will examine it.
“Unfortunately, we found Hvaldimir floating in the sea. He died, but it is not immediately clear what the cause of death is,” marine biologist Sebastian Strand told NRK, adding that no serious external injuries were visible on the animal.
Strand, who has followed Hvaldimir’s adventures for the past three years on behalf of the Norway-based nonprofit Marine Mind, said he was deeply moved by the whale’s sudden death.
“It’s really horrible,” Strand said. “He was apparently in good condition (Friday). So we just have to figure out what could have happened here.”
The 4.2-meter (14-foot) long, 1,225-kilogram (2,700-pound) whale was first spotted by fishermen near the northern island of Ingøya, not far from the Arctic town of Hammerfest, in April 2019. It was wearing a harness and what appeared to be a holder for a small camera and a belt buckle that read “Equipment Saint Petersburg.”
This led to accusations that the beluga was a “spy whale.” According to experts, the Russian Navy is known to train whales for military purposes.
Over the years, the beluga was seen in several Norwegian coastal towns and it soon became clear that he was very tame and liked to play with people, NRK reports.
The NGO Marine Mind reported on its website that Hvaldimir was very interested in people and responded to hand gestures.
“Based on these observations, it appears that Hvaldimir arrived in Norway via Russian waters, where he was presumably held captive,” the report said.
Norwegian media are speculating about whether Hvaldimir was used as some kind of “therapy whale” in Russia.
