Alleged Russian spy whale, ocean celebrity Hvaldimir found dead off Norwegian shore
A beluga whale that was suspected to be used as a Russian intelligence-gathering tool that became an oceanic celebrity was found dead Saturday.
Hvaldimir the beluga whale was found after it was spotted floating off the Norwegian coast by Marine Mind, an organization that has tracked whale's movements since its discovery in 2019, near the town of Risavika in the south-west of the country.
The animal was first discovered with a harness with a camera mount strapped to it marked, "Equipment St. Petersburg" by a fisherman near the northernmost point of Norway. The whale would allow people to pet its nose and was well known in the Baltic region.
"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 the natural world," Marine Mind said in an Aug. 31 Facebook post. "Hvaldimir bridged the gap between humans and wild animals in a way that few can."
Marine Mind said that a necropsy will be performed but did not respond to a question from Paste BN on when that would occur.
Whales, dolphins used since the Cold War
The use of marine animals for military purposes traces back to the Cold War as both the U.S. and U.S.S.R. used dolphins to protect ships and harbors as well as detect submarines and landmines.
The U.S. Naval Institute News reported in 2022 that whale pens had been found at Olenya Guba, the Russian naval base of the country's main directorate of deep-sea research. The country also used dolphins to protect its fleet in the Black Sea
Hvaldimir's friendliness is believed to be a result of training from the Russian military, though the country has not responded to the allegations of using the animal as a spy tool, according to the BBC.
The whale's name is a play on the name of Russian President Vladimir Putin.