Whale calls dead Russian spy off Norway a spy

A dead beluga whale was found off the Norwegian coast and was allegedly trained by Russia as a spy.

The body of the animal, nicknamed Hvaldimir, was found floating off the southwestern town of Risavika and taken to the nearest port for examination.

The whale was first spotted in Norwegian waters five years ago, with a GoPro camera attached to a strap labeled “Equipment from Saint Petersburg.”

This sparked rumors that the mammal might be a spy whale – something that experts say has happened in the past. Moscow has never responded to the allegations.

Hvaldimir's lifeless body was discovered over the weekend by Marine Mind, an organization that has been tracking his movements for years.

Marine Mind founder Sebastian Strand told AFP news agency that the cause of death was unknown and that Hvaldimir's body showed no visible injuries.

“We managed to recover his remains and move him to a refrigerated area to prepare him for an autopsy by the veterinary institute,” he told AFP news agency.

With an estimated age of around 15 years, Hvaldimir is not old for a beluga whale, which can have a life expectancy of up to 60 years.

In April 2019, he first approached Norwegian boats near Ingoya Island, about 415 kilometers from Murmansk, where Russia's Northern Fleet is stationed.

The sighting attracted attention because belugas are rarely seen so far south of the High Arctic.

The discovery led to an investigation by the Norwegian domestic intelligence service, which later concluded that the whale had probably been trained by the Russian army, as it seemed to be used to humans.

The whale became known locally as Hvaldimir, a play on the Norwegian word for whale, “hval,” and President Vladimir Putin.

Russia has a long tradition of training marine mammals such as dolphins for military purposes and The Barents Observer website has identified whale pens near naval bases northwest of Murmansk.

Russia has never officially commented on the claim that Hvaldimir may have been trained by the Russian military, and has previously denied the existence of any programs to train marine mammals as spies.