A beluga whale suspected of spying for the Russian government was found dead over the weekend, according to the nonprofit Marine Mind.
The whale — known as Hvaldimir — was discovered floating in the ocean, Marine Mind researcher Sebastian Strand told the Norwegian outlet NRK. The name “Hvaldimir” is a fusion of the Norwegian word for whale and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first name, Reuters reported.
Hvaldimir swam south along Norway’s coast since 2019, even gaining a celebrity status among fans, NRK documented.
The whale’s cause of death was unclear, Strand told NRK. Regina Crosby Haug, One Whale’s director, noted to the outlet that Hvaldimir had no signs of illness and and that the group had been trying to have the whale moved from the area. (RELATED: Offshore Wind Farms Are Killing Whales ‘In Numbers Never Seen Before,’ Trump Says)
Hvaldimir was first seen in Norwegian waters five years ago, according to the BBC. He was reportedly wearing a camera and a harness labeled “Equipment of St Petersburg.”
Russian military officials have never disclosed Hvaldimir’s origin or the reason for the pens, the BBC reported.
Satellite images revealed the Russian navy operated a facility for marine mammals, The Barents Oberver reported in 2019. The outlet speculated that Hvaldimir may have escaped from the facility or may have potentially been sent to Norwegian waters on an intelligence gathering mission.
Hvaldimir was reportedly very friendly to people and responsive to hand gestures, according to Marine Mind. Scars were visible on his body from multiple collisions with boats, although he proved to be a resilient animal. (RELATED: Video Shows Cruise Ship Sail Into Port With 44-Foot-Whale Stuck To Bow)
It is possible to view enclosures with what appear to be beluga whales in Russia using Google Earth.
Eleven orcas and 90 beluga whales were kept in cramped pens on Russia’s Pacific coast, CBS News reported in 2018. Local news reportedly labeled the pens “whale jail,” and activists worried the animals were being illegally sold to water parks and aquariums in China.
After a 1982 global ban on commercial whale hunting, it became illegal to remove whales from the wild beyond scientific and educational pursuits, according to the outlet.
