Hvaldimir: The Mysterious Death of a Beluga 'Spy' Whale

The beluga whale Hvaldimir, who was spotted five years ago wearing a harness labeled 'Equipment of St. Petersburg,' attracted worldwide attention and touched the hearts of thousands of people, especially here in Norway. Sebastian Strand, the founder of Marine Mind, announced the death of the whale named Hvaldimir - a combination of the Norwegian word for whale ('hval') and the Russian first name Vladimir. Russia never claimed ownership of the whale, and dozens of experts had expressed their op..

A 4.2-meter, 1,225-kilogram beluga whale named "Hvaldimir" was found dead in Risavika Bay, Norway in April 2019. The whale was first spotted near the Arctic city of Hammerfest, wearing a harness with a buckle marked "Equipment St. Petersburg", sparking rumors it was a Russian spy. Experts believed the whale had been held in captivity in Russia before crossing over to Norway. The Russian navy is known to have trained whales for military purposes. Over the years, the tame Hvaldimir was seen play..

A 4.2-metre, 1,225kg beluga whale nicknamed Hvaldimir, first spotted in April 2019 near Norway's Ingøya island close to Hammerfest, was found dead in Risavika Bay. The tame whale, wearing a harness that sparked 'spy' rumors, was monitored by the Norway-based non-profit Marine Mind and speculated to be a 'therapy whale' from Russia. Experts will examine the cause of death.

A dead beluga whale, allegedly trained for Russian espionage purposes, was discovered off the Norwegian coast. The whale, known as Hvaldimir, was first sighted in 2019 and was accustomed to humans. The cause of death is unclear; marine biologist Sebastian Strand is investigating the case.