A beluga whale, believed to have been trained by Russia as a “spy,” was not shot, according to a police investigation. The whale, named Hvaldimir, was found dead earlier this month, but police say it died because a stick got stuck in its mouth, not from human activity.
Hvaldimir became famous in 2019 when he was found in Norwegian waters wearing a camera. He was discovered floating near Risavika, on Norway’s southwest coast, on September 1st.
Two animal rights groups, One Whale and Noah, had reported the whale’s death, claiming he had been shot. They said there were visible bullet wounds on his body.
Regina Haug, founder of One Whale, said she saw “multiple bullet wounds,” and photos shared by the group appeared to show these injuries.
Noah’s director, Siri Martinsen, called the wounds “alarming” and suggested the whale might have been killed intentionally.
However, a police autopsy found a 35cm stick lodged in the whale’s mouth, which likely caused his death. Other injuries on Hvaldimir’s body were minor and not serious. The police confirmed, “There was no evidence suggesting that Hvaldimir was shot.”
Because of these findings, police decided not to continue their investigation. A full report will be released in two weeks.
Hvaldimir first gained attention in 2019 when he was spotted in Norwegian waters wearing a harness labeled “Equipment of St Petersburg,” leading to speculation that he was trained by Russia for spying.
The whale’s name is a mix of the Norwegian word for whale, “hval,” and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first name.
(With inputs from BBC)
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