Beluga Whale Believed to Be Russian Spy Found Dead Off Norwegian Coast

A beluga whale, believed to have been trained as a spy by Russia, has been found dead off the Norwegian coast. The whale, nicknamed Hvaldimir, was discovered floating near the town of Risavika and has been taken to a nearby port for examination.

Hvaldimir first gained attention five years ago when he was spotted in Norwegian waters with a GoPro camera attached to a harness labeled “Equipment of St Petersburg.” This sparked speculation that the whale had been trained as a spy by Russia, though Moscow never responded to the allegations.

🚨BELUGA WHALE SUSPECTED OF SPYING FOR RUSSIA FOUND DEAD IN NORWAY

Hvaldimir, the beluga whale suspected of spying for Russia after being discovered in Norwegian waters in 2019, has been found dead off southern Norway.

First found with a harness labeled "Equipment St… pic.twitter.com/T7GneiJxlO

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 2, 2024

The whale’s body was found over the weekend by Marine Mind, an organization that had been tracking his movements. According to Marine Mind founder Sebastian Strand, the cause of death remains unknown, as there were no visible injuries on the body. A necropsy is planned to determine the exact cause.

Hvaldimir, estimated to be around 15 years old, was relatively young for a beluga whale, which can live up to 60 years. He first made headlines in April 2019 when he approached Norwegian boats near the island of Ingoya, located about 415 kilometers from Murmansk, where Russia’s Northern Fleet is based. The sighting was unusual, as belugas are rarely seen so far south of the Arctic.

The incident led to an investigation by Norway’s domestic intelligence agency, which concluded that Hvaldimir was likely trained by the Russian military due to his familiarity with humans. Locally, the whale became known as Hvaldimir, a play on the Norwegian word for whale, “hval,” and President Vladimir Putin.

Although Russia has a history of training marine mammals like dolphins for military purposes, and whale pens have been identified near naval bases in Murmansk, the Russian government has never officially addressed the claims that Hvaldimir was a trained spy, nor has it acknowledged the existence of any such programs.

Via BBC