Spotted in 2019 off the coast of Norway and suspected of having been trained by Russia, the cetacean was found dead on Saturday, August 31. The cause of its death is still unknown.
The legend of Hvaldimir has come to an end. The beluga, which some thought was a Russian spy, was found dead on Saturday, August 31, by the NGO Marine Mind, which had been following him for several years. The founder of the NGO in question, Sébastien Strand, spotted the lifeless body of the cetacean floating near Risavika, a port in southwest Norway, on Saturday afternoon, reports the New York Times.
At this point, the cause of his death is not known. According to the latest reports dating back to the day before his death, he appeared to be in good health. Traces that may have been made by birds or marine animals were noticed on the body of the beluga. “We are heartbroken,” reacted Sébastien Strand, assuring that Hvaldimir had “touched the hearts of thousands of people in Norway alone.” Marine Mind is working to have the beluga’s body transferred to a facility that can preserve it long enough for the cause of its death to be determined.
Beluga suspect
Hvaldimir was not just any beluga. The cetacean, estimated to be 4 meters long and weighing more than 1,200 kilos, fascinated the general public. He had been spotted by fishermen in 2019 off the island of Ingoya, in northern Norway. At the time, his appearance had intrigued: the beluga was wearing a harness around its head with the inscription «Equipment Saint Petersbourg», a device capable of accommodating a camera.
The cetacean then aroused great interest among journalists, but also among the Norwegian intelligence services, who began investigating its origin. Enclosures were finally spotted near the Russian city of Murmansk, in which dolphins, belugas and seals were kept in captivity, for unknown reasons. The Norwegian authorities concluded that Hvaldimir was… a spy animal trained by Russia. Something the country has never confirmed.
Sébastien Strand of Marine Mind points out that the beluga appears to have “been in captivity most of his life.” Those who have met Hvaldimir have noticed that he is very used to human presence and that he seems to be domesticated. On the Internet, many videos show him interacting with fishermen or even tourists.
Despite the suspicions that weighed on the animal, Hvaldimir had been left free. His first name was not chosen at random. It is a mixture of whale, the Norwegian translation of “whale”, and the name Vladimir, for President Vladimir Putin.
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