Russian ‘spy whale’ Hvaldimir found dead near Norway


A beluga whale that was suspected of spying for Russia after being discovered in Norwegian waters five years ago has been found dead, according to the non-profit organization that had been monitoring the whale.

The body of Hvaldimir — a combination of the Norwegian word for whale and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin — was spotted floating in the sea by a father and son fishing in southern Norway over the weekend, Norwegian public broadcaster NRK reported.

“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,” the Marine Mind NGO said on social media.

A beluga whale is being fed some fish by a human hand.
In this photo taken in April 2019, a beluga whale found in Arctic Norway is fed. Marine Mind, the non-profit that tracked the whale, says a necropsy will be performed to determine the cause of death after Hvaldimir was found dead this weekend. (Jorgen Ree Wiig/Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries/The Associated Press)

Hvaldimir was wearing a harness with what appeared to be a mount for a small camera when he was first found in 2019 near the island of Ingoya in Norway’s north, around 300 kilometres from the Russian maritime border. The harness was stamped with “Equipment St Petersburg” in English.

The whale was very interested in people and responded to hand signals, leading Norway’s domestic intelligence agency to presume he had been held in captivity in Russia as part of a research program before crossing into Norwegian waters.

Moscow has never responded to the allegations about Hvaldimir.

“It’s absolutely horrible,” marine biologist Sebastian Strand, who worked with Marine Mind, told NRK. “He was apparently in good condition as of (Friday), so we just have to figure out what might have happened here.”

A red fishing boat floats in front of mountains. A large white shape is visible under the water beside the boat.
A white beluga whale wearing a harness is seen next to a fishing boat off the coast of northern Norway on April 29, 2019. (Jorgen Ree Wiig/Sea Surveillance Service/Handout/NTB Scanpix/Reuters)

No major external injuries were visible on the animal and it was not immediately clear what caused the death, he said.



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