Norway has urged its people to try to avoid any type of contact with a beluga whale known as the "spy" whale that was recently seen in a fjord close to Oslo and is wearing a harness.
The directive was issued by the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries on Wednesday due to worries that the tame whale would suffer harm.
The statement by the department said, "The white whale known as "Hvaldimir" now resides in the inner Oslofjord. This means that it has arrived in a very densely populated area, and the risk that the whale may be injured due to human contact has thus become significantly greater."
"The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries has management responsibility for marine mammals in Norway. White whales, also called belugas, are protected animals in this country, and people must avoid disturbing wild animals."
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"So far, there have only been minor incidents where the whale has suffered minor injuries, primarily from contact with boats. When it has now reached the inner Oslofjord, where the population density is much greater and where there are far more recreational boats gathered in a small area, the risk of injury or, in the worst case, death is much greater," Fisheries Director Frank Bakke-Jensen said in a statement.
The whale was first spotted by Norwegian fishermen in 2019, when they noticed that the whale defied normal behavior by persistently harassing their boats. The fishermen subsequently spotted a strange harness wrapped around the whale's body.
"We have always communicated that the whale in question is a free-living animal, and we see no reason to capture it and put it behind barriers. But when it is now in a more vulnerable area and access to food may be limited, we will consider different measures. But it is too early to say anything concrete about that yet," said Bakke-Jensen.
The Directorate of Fisheries will monitor the whale's movements and hope it will turn around when it reaches the end of the Oslofjord.
