A beluga whale nicknamed Hvaldimir, who was initially suspected of being a Russian spy, was found dead on Aug. 31, according to Norwegian media. Hvaldimir’s body was first spotted by a father and son who were out fishing for mackerel near the port town of Risavika in southwestern Norway. “This morning, after receiving a sighting report from a local, our team arrived to find Hvaldimir floating peacefully in the water,” Marine Mind, a Norway-based nonprofit, said on Instagram. “It is not immediately clear what caused his death, a necropsy will be conducted to determine his early passing.” Hvaldimir first gained fame in 2019 when he started approaching fishing boats in Norwegian waters, some 300 kilometers (186 miles) from the Norway’s maritime border with Russia. At the time, he had a tight harness around his neck, with what appeared to be a camera mount, stamped with “equipment of St. Petersburg.” The whale also appeared to be tame, and would regularly approach people, sparking speculation that he had possibly been held in captivity in Russia and either trained for spying or to work as a therapy whale. Historically, the militaries of both the U.S. and Russia captured beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) for research and to help with military operations like delivering equipment to divers and retrieving objects. While Hvaldimir’s origin remained unverified, the 4.2-meter (14-foot) beluga whale was eventually freed from his harness. He continued to live in Norwegian waters, where locals named him Hvaldimir, a mashup of the Norwegian word for…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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