A beluga whale named Hvaldimir, who gained international attention after being suspected of espionage for Russia, has been found dead in southern Norway. The non-profit organization Marine Mind, which had been monitoring the whale, confirmed the discovery.
Hvaldimir’s body was found floating in the sea by a father and son while fishing over the weekend, as reported by Norwegian public broadcaster NRK. The whale was retrieved using a crane and brought to a nearby harbor for examination by experts. Marine biologist Sebastian Strand, who worked closely with the whale, noted that no significant external injuries were visible, making the cause of death unclear.
“Unfortunately, we found Hvaldimir floating in the sea,” Strand stated. “He has passed away, but it’s not immediately clear what the cause of death is. It’s absolutely horrible. He was apparently in good condition as of Friday, so we just have to figure out what might have happened here.”
In a heartfelt message shared on social media, Marine Mind described Hvaldimir as “a beacon of hope, a symbol of connection, and a reminder of the deep bond between humans and the natural world.”
Hvaldimir first made headlines in 2019 when he was spotted near the island of Ingoya in northern Norway. The whale was found wearing a harness stamped with “Equipment of St Petersburg,” leading to speculation that he had been part of a Russian military program. This suspicion, combined with his friendly behavior towards humans and apparent training, led Norway’s domestic intelligence agency to consider him a potential spy, prompting the nickname Hvaldimir—a blend of the Norwegian word for whale, “hval,” and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first name.
After his discovery, Hvaldimir became a well-known figure, drawing crowds of onlookers and eventually leaving Hammerfest harbor to travel along the Norwegian coast. His ability to feed himself and survive in the wild was confirmed, and he was later spotted in Swedish waters, where he was filmed playing catch with a rugby ball.
Despite the theories surrounding his origins, including one that suggested he might have been a therapy animal for disabled children at a Russian center near the border, no conclusive evidence was ever provided. Moscow has remained silent on the allegations of Hvaldimir’s involvement in espionage.
Hvaldimir was found dead in the bay of Risavika, near Stavanger, on August 31, 2024. His death marks the end of a mysterious and captivating chapter in marine wildlife history.
