A Whale That Was A Russian Spy Has Been Spotted Off The Coast Of Sweden And People Have Questions
Hvaldimir was first spotted in 2019 along Norway’s coast, wearing a harness fitted with a GoPro that had a label that read, “Equipment of St Petersburg”.
A whale that was suspected as a Russian spy has been spotted off the coast of Sweden, and scientists are concerned for his well-being.
The beluga whale was first spotted in 2019 along Norway’s northern coast, wearing a harness fitted with a GoPro that had a label that read, “Equipment of St Petersburg”.
The whale had a unique character, seeking interactions with humans, similar to a domesticated or abandoned animal instead of a wild whale .
The Norwegian intelligence agency launched an investigation and reached the conclusion that the whale was most likely trained by the Russian navy as part of a program to use underwater mammals as a special ops force.
The Russian navy is believed to have pursued a sea mammal special operations program for years, which the Russian Defense Ministry has denied.
The whale was then given the nickname Hvaldimir, a mix between the Norwegian word for whale, hval, and the name of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The Russian government has never formally addressed the rumors that Hvaldimir is a spy.
“If we were using this animal for spying, do you really think we’d attach a mobile phone number with the message ‘Please call this number’?” a Russian colonel said in 2019, speaking on the matter unofficially, according to the BBC.
Since then, Hvaldimir has stopped being a “spy” and mostly spent his time traveling along Norway’s northern coast.
However, on Monday May 29, authorities reported that Hvaldimir had been spotted in Swedish waters.
It is still uncertain why Hvaldimir moved so quickly out of his usual place, but scientists speculate that he is searching for other whales.
One Whale, an organization created solely to protect Hvaldimir, has started to work alongside Swedish authorities to ensure Hvaldimir stays out of harm’s way.
“It could be hormones driving him to find a mate. Or it could be loneliness, as belugas are a very social species – it could be that he’s searching for other beluga whales,” One Whale’s president, Sebastian Strand, said.
Strand said the “situation remains an extremely vulnerable”.
“Sweden has four million more people than Norway, heavy boat traffic and less fish for him to eat compared to what he was accustomed to. Hvaldimir has lost weight – a likely combination of lots of swimming and less food consumption than normal,” One Whale said on its social media.
The organization and Swedish authorities will continue to monitor Hvaldimir’s situation, but plans have been made to move Hvaldimir to arctic waters.
