A beloved beluga whale, long thought by many to be a spy for Russia, was allegedly found shot dead in waters off of Norway over the weekend, and animal rights groups are demanding an investigation.
The whale, cleverly nicknamed Hvaldimir — a play on words for the Norwegian word for whale, hval, and the first name of Russian president, Vladimir Putin — was found dead Saturday in a bay along Norway’s southwest coast and “had multiple bullet wounds around his body,” an animal activist told AFP.
On Wednesday, two animal-rights organizations, OneWhale and NOAH, announced that they’d filed a police report with local authorities and Norway’s national authority on environmental crimes.
“When I saw his body and the multiple injuries, I immediately knew he had been killed by gunshots,” Regina Haug, the founder of OneWhale, an organization created to protect and track the beluga, wrote in a statement.
“I even saw a bullet lodged in his body,” she continued. “There is no question that this kind, gentle animal was senselessly murdered.”
The whale stole hearts and minds after it was first spotted off the coast of Norway in 2019. When first discovered, he was found wearing a manmade harness with a mount that would fit a camera. On the harness’s plastic clasps were the words “Equipment St. Petersburg,” printed in English — sparking speculation that the whale might have been playing a role in Russian espionage.
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The sighting was additionally surprising, as belugas are rarely found in waters that far south of the Arctic.
Moscow has never confirmed or denied the speculation.
With an estimated age of 15 to 20, Hvaldimir was relatively young for a beluga whale, which can live to between 40 and 60 years of age.
Sebastian Strand, the founder of Marine Mind, an organization that also cared for Hvaldimir, told Business Insider that he wasn’t keen to describe what happened to the whale as death-by-shooting, describing the allegations as “speculation.”
The Norwegian Veterinary Institute, where Hvaldimir’s body was taken, declined to comment on the situation, as the autopsy in ongoing.
The report is expected “within three weeks,” a spokesperson for the institute said.
“The injuries on the whale are alarming and of a nature that cannot rule out a criminal act — it is shocking,” Siri Martinsen, a veterinarian who’s the leader of NOAH, said in the statement.
She added: “Given the suspicion of a criminal act, it is crucial that the police are involved quickly. Hvaldimir was significant to many, and all facts must be brought to light regarding his death.”
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