Celebrated "Russian Spy" Whale Hvaldimir Found Dead In Norway: Report

A beluga whale named Hvaldimir which captured the world's imagination in 2019 was found dead in Norway, a report said. The 14-foot-long and 2,700-pound whale was spotted with a harness seemingly designed for a camera five years ago, prompting the internet to nickname him Hvaldimir the spy whale. 

The harness bore the marking "equipment" from St. Petersburg, fueling widespread speculation that the whale was part of a Russian reconnaissance mission. The mystery deepened as no official claim of ownership was made by Russia, leaving the world to wonder if this whale was a spy or just an unfortunate whale caught in a strange circumstance.

The beluga, whose name is a blend of the Norwegian word for whale, "hval," and the Russian name Vladimir, quickly became a subject of global fascination. Unlike other belugas, which typically inhabit the remote and frigid Arctic waters, Hvaldimir appeared unusually comfortable around humans, leading experts to believe he had been in captivity for much of his life. 

"It's heartbreaking. He's touched thousands of people's hearts just here in Norway," Sebastian Strand, founder of the nonprofit Marine Mind, which worked to protect Hvaldimir, said as quoted by the New York Times. 

Last year, Norway requested its citizens to avoid any type of contact with Hvaldimir who was seen in a fjord close to Oslo.

"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," a statement by the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries read.