'Russian spy' whale nicknamed Hvaldimir found dead in Norway
Sep 02, 2024
Oslo [Norway], September 2 : A white beluga whale was discovered dead in the southwest of Norway. It was given the nickname Hvaldimir because of unusual harness, which dubbed it as a Russian spy, CNN reported.
A father and son going fishing on Saturday saw the whale's carcass drifting off the southern Norwegian bay of Risavika, according to Norwegian state broadcaster NRK
"Hvaldimir was not just a beluga whale; he was a beacon of hope, a symbol of connection, and a reminder of the deep bond between humans and the natural world," Marine Mind, a nonprofit organisation that had been tracking the whale's movements, said on social media, according to CNN.
After the beluga whale was found dead, its carcass was lifted out of the water with a crane and taken to a nearby harbour for further examination.
The name Hvaldimir, which combines the Norwegian term "hval" meaning whale with the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was initially observed in 2019 off the coast of far northern Norway, reported CNN.
The whale's fabricated harness, resembling a camera mount bearing the words "Equipment St Petersburg" stamped on it, intensified rumours that he was a "spy whale." Hvaldimir appeared to be familiar to humans, leading Norwegian officials to speculate that he may have escaped his confinement and received training from the Russian navy.
"We've managed to retrieve his remains and put him in a cooled area, in preparation for a necropsy by the veterinary institute that can help determine what really happened to him," marine biologist Sebastian Strand told NRK, according to CNN.
Hvaldimir had been spotted in a number of coastal towns in Norway over the previous five years, and Norway-based NRK reported that the whale enjoyed playing with people. According to Norwegian media reports, Hvaldimir was a "therapy whale" of sorts rather than a "spy whale." The northern waters of Greenland, Norway, and Russia are home to beluga whales, who typically live to be between 40 and 60 years old, CNN reported.
Notably, Hvaldimir was 4.2 metres (14ft) long, weighed 1,225kg (2,700 pounds) and was thought to be between 14 and 15 years old.
