Beluga whale Hvaldimir, once suspected Russian spy, found dead in Norway

Hvaldimir was found dead in Risavika Bay in southern Norway. The male beluga whale – a marine mammal from the narwhal family – had appeared off the Norwegian coast a few years earlier, likely coming from Russia.

Hvaldimir is a name combining the Norwegian word "hval" (whale) and the name of the Russian president. The famous beluga whale earned its name due to the unusual circumstances under which it appeared off the Norwegian coast.

The whale was first spotted in 2019 near the Norwegian island of Ingøya. He was wearing a harness with a mount for a camera or photographic device, which he tried to remove by rubbing against a fishing boat. People helped him with this, discovering at the same time an inscription indicating that the unusual accessory came from St. Petersburg.

Closer contact with the marine mammal revealed that he was tame, accustomed to the presence of people, and willing to play with them. The whale had also been trained to recognize human gestures and respond to them.

Since Russia is one of the countries that conducted programs for the military use of marine mammals, there was speculation that the beluga whale might have been trained for spy tasks. According to other opinions, Hvaldimir might have been trained as a therapy animal.

Suspicions about a spying mission were based on knowledge of military marine mammal programs. These have been or are still being conducted by countries including Russia, the United States, Ukraine, and Iran.

The animals are taught, among other things, to protect naval bases and various infrastructure facilities, detect divers, and detect other threats, such as sea mines. Work with marine mammals has also helped in the design of submarines.

Over the years, Hvaldimir repeatedly interacted with people. Among other things, he retrieved and returned a smartphone dropped into the sea to its owner, stole a knife from a diver, and took and then returned a GoPro camera. He also sustained injuries caused by motorboat propellers and improper human treatment.

The plan to allocate part of one of the fjords as a safe haven for Hvaldimir – although approved by the local council in 2023 – was not realized. On August 31, Hvaldimir's death was confirmed.