The beluga whale known as Hvaldimir, suspected of being a Russian spy, was found dead off the coast of Risavika Bay in southern Norway. The whale, which gained international attention after being spotted with a GoPro camera harness labeled “Equipment of St Petersburg,” was discovered floating in the water by a father and son fishing in the area.
Hvaldimir’s death was confirmed by marine biologist Sebastian Strand, who had monitored the whale’s movements for the past three years in collaboration with the NGO Marine Mind. Strand noted that while no significant external injuries were visible on the whale, the cause of death was not immediately clear. Hvaldimir was approximately 15 years old, which is relatively young for a beluga whale, as they can live up to 60 years.
The whale first appeared in April 2019 near the island of Ingoya in Norway, around 300 kilometers from Russia’s maritime border. Its unusual behavior, including an apparent familiarity with humans and responsiveness to hand signals, led Norwegian intelligence to suspect that it had been previously held in captivity, possibly as part of a research program in Russia before its arrival in Norwegian waters.
In May of the previous year, Hvaldimir was spotted off the coast of Sweden, traveling several hundred kilometers south. The Barents Observer, a Norwegian news site, used satellite images to suggest that the whale pens near Russian naval bases in Murmansk might have been used to train marine mammals for military purposes, although Russia has never officially confirmed or responded to these allegations.
The suspicion that Hvaldimir was a product of a Russian military program fueled interest and concern in the West. The whale’s death has raised questions about the circumstances of its life and the extent of its involvement, if any, in covert operations. As investigations into the cause of death continue, Hvaldimir remains a symbol of the intersection between wildlife and international intrigue.
