The Mysterious Beluga Whale Named Hvaldimir: A Possible Russian Spy or a Trained Companion?

The male beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) named Hvaldimir is 13 to 14 years old. It was first spotted in the frigid waters of northern Norway in April 2019, and was fitted with harnesses that read “St. Petersburg Equipment.” It appeared that the innards were intended to secure a video camera and other spying devices. True, there were no devices for the whale.

Hvaldimir also showed no fear of humans at all, indicating that he was raised or at least trained by humans. However, Russia has never officially responded to these suspicions.

The Norwegian non-profit organization “OneWhale” decided to take Hvaldimir under its wing and has been taking care of it for the past three years. It has spent most of its time in the north of Norway, however, on May 28 it was spotted off the southwestern coast of Sweden, from where it rapidly moved south, reports the news agency “AFP”.

“We don’t know exactly why he left so quickly. Maybe his hormones are making him look for a partner. Either way, Hvaldimir’s current course is taking her away from its natural environment very quickly,” said biologist Sebastian Strand.