Police called in after Russian ‘spy whale’ Hvaldimir’s cause of death revealed

Police have been called in over the death of a famous Russian ‘spy whale’ in Norway after gunshot wounds were seen in pictures taken soon after his death.

Animal rights groups have filed a police report with Norwegian authorities over the death of Hvaldimir — a 4.2m beluga whale suspected of once being a tool used to spy on behalf of Russia.

His body was discovered floating in the Risavika Bay in Norway late last month by a father and son who were fishing and was taken to a nearby harbour to be examined by experts.

In a statement, One Whale, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the protection of Hvaldimir, and Noah, Norway’s largest animal rights organisation, said that while an autopsy report was still pending, preliminary findings were that he had died of gunshot wounds.

Veterinarians, biologists, and ballistics experts made the conclusion after reviewing photographic evidence of the whale’s injuries.

“Their assessments strongly suggest that the whale’s death was the result of a criminal act, prompting the need for immediate police involvement,” Siri Martinsen, veterinarian and leader of NOAH, said.

Martinsen rejected early reports that Hvaldimir had died of natural causes and dismissed suggestions his wounds were caused by seabirds after he passed.

OneWhale founder Regina Haug said she was devastated.

“I have been with Hvaldimir for the past five years and know him very well. When I saw his body and the multiple injuries, I immediately knew he had been killed by gunshots. I even saw a bullet lodged in his body.

“There is no question that this kind, gentle animal was senselessly murdered. We will pursue justice for Hvaldimir and hope that someone comes forward with information about his killing.”

Hvaldimir was first spotted near Ingoya in 2019 wearing a harness and what appeared to be a mount for a small camera and a buckle marked ‘Equipment St Petersburg’.

This, and the fact it was clear he had been trained and was accustomed to interacting with humans, sparked fears he was “a spy whale”.

His name is a combination of the Norwegian word for whale (hval) and Russian President Putin’s first name Vladimir.

Experts said the Russian navy was known to have trained whales for military purposes and it appeared as if Hvaldimir had crossed into Norway from Russian waters, NRK reported.

Over the years, he was seen in several Norwegian coastal towns and it quickly became clear that he was very tame and enjoyed playing with people.

“Based on these observations, it appeared as if Hvaldimir arrived in Norway by crossing over from Russian waters, where it is presumed he was held in captivity.”

In Norway, Hvaldimir spent most of his time at salmon farms, sometimes disrupting their work. He had also generated his own mini-tourism boom, with tour and dive operators selling tickets to swim and dive with him.

Plans to relocate the whale to Northern Norway, closer to other belugas where it was considered safer, were underway with permits for the move granted in June.

“There were many obstacles that prevented his move from happening sooner, including bureaucratic processes, poorly defined laws, misinformation, and sadly, attempts by other organisations to block his move, Ms Haug said.

“Despite this, we were so close to finally getting Hvaldimir to safer waters and giving him a chance at a sustainable future. Our worst fears came true when his young life was cut short. Our hope is that Hvaldimir’s tragedy will be a lesson and never be repeated.”

— with Daily Mail