Suspected Russian “spy whale” Hvaldimir is dead. He discovered the beluga whale lying motionless in the sea off the southwestern coast of Norway on Saturday, head of the environmental protection organization Marine Mind, Sebastian Strand, said on Sunday.
A representative of the Port Authority in Stavanger confirmed the death of the marine mammal to the newspaper “VG”. The cause of death is unknown, Strand said. Initial examination has not revealed any visible injuries. The carcass of the whale has been recovered and an autopsy should now provide clarity.
The whale was first spotted in Norway in 2019. Norwegians named it “Hvaldimir” – “Hval” means “whale” in Norwegian, the ending “dimir” is a reference to its alleged connection to Russia.
Has a marine mammal escaped from captivity?
The Norwegian Fisheries Directorate speculated at the time that he had escaped from captivity and was being trained by the Russian Navy. Biologists managed to remove a harness for attaching a camera from the beluga whale. However, the purpose and origin of the equipment remain unclear. Moscow has never officially commented on the speculation.
Both the Soviet Union and the United States used dolphins during the Cold War. The marine mammals were trained to detect submarines and mines and to recognize suspicious objects or people near ports and ships.
Source: Krone
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