Oslo: Hvaldimir, the beluga whale once suspected of spying for Russia, has been found dead, according to the non-profit organization that had been monitoring him. The whale’s body was discovered floating in the sea by a father and son fishing in southern Norway over the weekend, as reported by Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.
The Marine Mind NGO, which had been tracking Hvaldimir, shared their sentiments on social media: “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.”
Hvaldimir gained attention in 2019 when he was found near the island of Ingoya in northern Norway, approximately 300 kilometers (190 miles) from the Russian maritime border. At the time, he was wearing a harness with what appeared to be a mount for a small camera, and the harness was marked with “Equipment St Petersburg” in English.
The whale showed a keen interest in people and responded to hand signals, leading Norway’s domestic intelligence agency to suspect he had been held in captivity in Russia as part of a research program before drifting into Norwegian waters. Moscow has yet to address the allegations regarding Hvaldimir.
Marine biologist Sebastian Strand, who worked with Marine Mind, expressed his dismay: “It’s absolutely horrible. He was apparently in good condition as of Friday, so we just have to figure out what might have happened here.” No significant external injuries were found on the whale, and the cause of death remains unclear.
