‘Russian Spy’ Whale Spotted With Harness Found Dead in Norwegian Waters – NBC New York

A beluga whale named “Hvaldimir” first spotted in Norway near Russian territorial waters with a harness, sparking rumours it could be a Moscow spy, has been found dead.

Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported that a father and son found the carcass of a whale floating in Risavika Bay in southern Norway on Saturday.

The beluga, whose name combines the Norwegian word for whale — hval — and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first name, was lifted from the water by a crane and taken to a nearby port where experts will examine it.

“Unfortunately, we found Hvaldimir floating in the sea. He died, but it is not clear what caused his death,” marine biologist Sebastian Strand told NRK, adding that the animal had no visible serious external injuries.

Strand, who has been following Hvaldimir’s adventures for three years on behalf of the Norwegian non-profit organisation Marine Mind, said the whale’s sudden death had affected him deeply.

“It’s absolutely awful,” Strand said. “He was obviously in good shape (since Friday). So we just have to figure out what could have happened here.”

The 4.2-meter (14-foot), 1,225-kilogram (2,700-pound) whale was first spotted by fishermen in April 2019 near the northern island of Ingøya, not far from the Arctic city of Hammerfest. It was wearing a harness and what appeared to be a mount for a small camera, as well as a buckle with the words “Equipment St. Petersburg.”

This prompted accusations that the beluga was a “spy whale.” Experts said the Russian Navy was known to train whales for military purposes.

According to NRK, the beluga whale has been sighted in several coastal towns in Norway over the years and it quickly became clear that it was very tame and liked to play with people.

The non-governmental organization Marine Mind wrote on its website that Hvaldimir was very interested in people and responded to hand signals.

“Based on these observations, it appears that Hvaldimir arrived in Norway by sailing from Russian waters where he was presumably held captive,” the statement said.

Norwegian media have speculated whether Hvaldimir could have been used in Russia as a kind of “therapeutic whale.”