A beluga whale known as Hvaldimir, which gained notoriety as a suspected Russian spy, was found dead in Risavika Bay, southern Norway, on Saturday. The discovery was made by a father and son fishing in the area, according to The Independent, citing Norwegian public broadcaster NRK. Hvaldimir’s name is a blend of the Norwegian word “hval,” meaning whale, and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first name.
The whale had previously attracted attention when it was spotted in Norwegian waters five years ago with a GoPro camera strapped to a harness labeled “Equipment of St Petersburg.” This led to speculation in the West that Hvaldimir may have been part of a Russian military program.
Marine biologist Sebastian Strand, who monitored Hvaldimir’s movements through the NGO Marine Mind, confirmed that the whale’s carcass was found floating and was later retrieved by a crane for further investigation. Strand reported that while Hvaldimir appeared to be in good condition until Friday, the cause of death remains unclear, as no major external injuries were visible.
Hvaldimir, approximately 15 years old, was relatively young for a beluga whale, which can live up to 60 years. The whale was first observed in April 2019 near Ingoya Island in northern Norway, about 300 kilometers from the Russian maritime border. It displayed an unusual interest in humans and responded to hand signals, leading to the assumption that it had been in captivity as part of a research program before appearing in Norwegian waters.
In May of last year, Hvaldimir was seen swimming off the coast of Sweden, about 2,000 kilometers south of Norway. Reports from the Barents Observer suggested that satellite images had identified whale pens near Russian naval bases in the Murmansk region, fueling speculation about Russia’s use of marine mammals for military purposes. However, Russia has yet to address these allegations.
Source: BBC