The beluga whale was found in Norway wearing a St. Petersburg-marked harness, prompting speculation that he was a Russian intelligence asset.
A beluga whale suspected of being a Russian intelligence asset - before winning the hearts of Norwegian fishermen with his toothy grin - was found dead over the weekend. The mammal, affectionately known as “Hvaldimir,” was estimated to be 14 to 17 years old.
The suspected intelligence asset captured global attention five years ago, when he approached Norwegian fishermen while strapped in a harness that read, “Equipment St. Petersburg.” Locals nicknamed him “Hvaldimir,” a playful combination of the Norwegian word for whale, hval, and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first name.
If Hvaldimir was trained by Russian handlers for a career in subterfuge, he was not very good at it. By all accounts, Hvaldimir spent his days craving attention wherever he could find it. “He was playful, and he was fond of humans. He would seek out contact with them,” Strand said. “Quite often, we would see him splash his fins across the water or aim his blow toward children to incite laughter.
Strand said he spotted Hvaldimir’s body during a routine visit to the waters where people had submitted sightings of the whale - as, he said, he has done most days for the past three years. “Upon approach, I saw something white. … It didn’t move like Hvaldimir,” he said. “When we found him, there was no immediately obvious cause of death.”
Crosby Haug, who was campaigning to relocate Hvaldimir to calmer Arctic waters for his safety, said she had secured official permits in June to move him. “It’s a terrible situation and a horrible ending to a long battle for his life,” she said.
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