A white beluga whale thought to have been used in Russian spy operations has been found dead off the coast of Norway, and animal rights groups are claiming he died of gunshot wounds.
The body of the whale, which had been named ‘Hvaldimir’ – a play on the words hval, the Norwegian word for whale, and Vladimir, the first name of Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin – was found floating in Risavika Bay in southern Norway on Saturday, 31 August.
The 4.3m (14ft)-long whale was first sighted by fishermen in 2019, near the island of Ingoya off Norway’s northern coast. He was found wearing a harness and camera mount marked with ‘Equipment St Petersburg’, leading to speculation that the animal may have been deployed to monitor military shipping activities on behalf of the Russian government.
Conservationists from OneWhale, a group dedicated to the Hvaldimir’s protection and rehabilitation; and NOAH, Norway’s largest animal rights organisation, have since alleged that there is ‘compelling evidence’ that the whale was killed by gunfire, and have submitted a police report calling for a criminal investigation.
‘Several veterinarians, biologists, and ballistics experts have reviewed photographic evidence, including close-ups of Hvaldimir’s injuries,’ said a spokesperson for OneWhale, in a statement published on the group’s website. ‘Their assessments strongly suggest that the whale’s death was the result of a criminal act, prompting the need for immediate police involvement.’
‘The injuries on the whale are alarming and of a nature that cannot rule out a criminal act—it is shocking,’ said Siri Martinsen, a veterinarian and leader of NOAH. ‘Given the suspicion of a criminal act, it is crucial that the police are involved quickly. Hvaldimir was significant to many, and all facts must be brought to light regarding his death.’
Members of Marine Mind – the campaign group which found Hvaldimir’s body – however, have urged caution over speculation into the alleged nature of Hvaldimir’s death.
‘When we found Hvaldimir on Saturday, it was not possible to immediately determine the cause of death,’ a spokesperson for the group wrote on Facebook. ‘Until the cause of death is established by those responsible for the investigation, temporary assumptions will not be useful for anything other than publicity.’
Hvaldimir, thought to be around 15 years of age, had become something of a cetacean celebrity in Norway. He was described as being ‘very tame’ and it has been reported that he ‘enjoyed playing with humans’, a behaviour previously seen in other cetaceans such as orcas (killer whales) and dolphins that have been released from captivity.
His presence around Norway’s south, however, was putting him in danger through human interactions and busy shipping lanes. He had become toothless as a result of people throwing objects at him and encouraging him to bite on wooden planks.
In light of his injuries and potential threats to his safety, OneWhale had been working to relocate Hvaldimir to Kirkenes, in the far northeastern reaches of Norway, which would have reunited him with other beluga whales in the area.
The autopsy which will determine the cause of Hvaldimir’s death is expected to take three weeks.
