In 2019, a beluga whale wearing a camera harness was spotted in Norway. The group of fishermen that found the whale took the harness off and then noticed that the whale seemed pretty used to humans — prompting suspicion that the whale was trained to spy for Russia. Now, the whale has been found shot and killed, with the organizations looking after the whale filing a complaint to the Norwegian police.
A Russian Whale Spy?
Hvaldimir, as the whale was called, had a most unlikely story. The harness it was wearing was labeled “Equipment St. Petersburg”, and the whale didn’t seem to like it very much. When fishermen around the town of Hammerfest spotted Hvaldimir, he was rubbing against boats in apparent attempts to free himself. After several animal rescue staff and fishers tried to free him, one fisherman put on a survival suit and jumped inside the water to loosen the harness buckles.
Surprisingly, the whale grew fond of the fishing boats. It returned for several days, playing and asking for food. Hvaldimir appeared completely unafraid of humans and was very tame. He would come when called and liked to be scratched around the blowhole. He’d follow boats around and appeared to respond to hand gestures, suggesting human training.
It’s not hard to understand why he was suspected of espionage, but this was never confirmed.
Authorities wondered what to do with Hvaldimir. While he was making efforts to feed himself, he wasn’t doing so well. Then he got sick and was accidentally injured by an angler, which prompted animal rescuers to step in and take care of the whale.
Hvaldimir The Friendly Beluga
In the meantime, the whale’s fame continued to grow. Because Hvaldimir was responding to gestures, locals began organizing impromptu shows and tourists would flock to see him.
Eventually, just as conservationists were most concerned for his future as a wild animal, Hvaldimir left harbor and started traveling along Norway’s coast. But the problems didn’t stop. Tourists would visit his present location to see him, occasionally causing some harm through reckless interactions. Hvaldimir also showed an uncanny ability to feed on industrial salmon farms, which sparked some concerns.
Hvaldimir’s life was not completely wild, but not dependent on humans either. He would go out and feed himself, while also regularly appearing in populated areas, interacting with fishermen and tourists. By 2023, no Norwegian authority provided any tangible protection or welfare plan for Hvaldimir. His care came only from international whale activism groups.
Finally, in the summer of 2023, the town of Hammerfest, where Hvaldimir was still a frequent visitor, voted to set up a private fjord sanctuary, away from traffic and tourism. Other beluga whales would potentially join Hvaldimir, with the whales possibly being released further north to the waters off Svalbard, where a group of wild belugas is known to exist.
A Remarkable Life Cut Short
But Hvaldimir never got to see his private fjord established. He was found dead on Saturday in a bay on Norway’s south-western coast. An autopsy report will be conducted.
Regina Crosby Haug, the head of One Whale, which was founded to track the beluga, said he had “multiple bullet wounds around his body.”
“The injuries on the whale are alarming and of a nature that cannot rule out a criminal act — it is shocking,” Siri Martinsen, director of animal rights organization Noah who also followed the whale, added. “Given the suspicion of a criminal act, it is crucial that the police are involved quickly,” she said.
Meanwhile, another conservation group, Marine Mind, urged people to “refrain from speculation”.
“When we found Hvaldimir on Saturday, it was not possible to immediately determine the cause of death. Until the cause of death is established by those responsible for the investigation, temporary assumptions will not be useful for anything other than publicity,” the organization said.
“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,” the charity said in a statement shortly after the beluga whale’s death.”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,” the charity said in a statement shortly after the beluga whale’s death.
With an estimated age of 15 to 20, Hvaldimir was still a young beluga whale.
