Russian “spy whale” Hvaldimir found dead near Norway

A beluga whale discovered in Norwegian waters five years ago and suspected of spying for Russia has been found dead, the nonprofit organization that monitored the whale said.

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 over the weekend by a father and son while fishing in southern Norway, 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 nature,” the NGO Marine Mind said on social media.

Hvaldimir was wearing a harness with a kind of holder for a small camera when he was found in 2019 near the island of Ingoya in northern Norway, about 300 kilometers from the Russian maritime border. The harness bore the English stamp “Equipment St. Petersburg.”

The whale showed great interest in humans and responded to hand signals. Norwegian domestic intelligence therefore suspected that it was held captive in Russia as part of a research program before entering Norwegian waters.

Moscow has never responded to the allegations against Hvaldimir.

“It's absolutely terrible,” marine biologist Sebastian Strand, who works with Marine Mind, told NRK. “He was apparently in good condition (Friday), so we just have to find out what could have happened here.”

There were no major external injuries visible on the animal and the cause of death was not immediately clear, he said.