The carcass of the beluga whale Hvaldimir, suspected of spying for Russia, has been found off the coast of Norway, the Norwegian animal protection organization Marine Mind (an organization whose activities are banned in the Russian Federation) reported on its Facebook page on September 2.
In spring 2019, the whale caught the attention of Norwegian fishermen for wearing a harness bearing the logo of a St. Petersburg company, sparking speculation that it had “escaped from Russian captivity.”
The animal was named Hvaldimir, which combines the Norwegian word for whale and the name of the Russian president. Norwegian authorities have asked people to avoid contact with the “Russian spy whale.”
“It is with great sadness that we share the news of Hvaldimir’s passing. This morning, after receiving a message from a local resident, our team arrived and found Hvaldimir’s body… in the water.”said Marine Mind.
The organization announced plans to conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of the whale’s death.
Marine Mind founder Sebastian Strand told the New York Times that Hvaldimir showed signs of domestication and got along well with people, preferring to stay in more crowded bodies of water. This behavior has caused concern among scientists and animal rights activists.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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