"Hvaldimir," a Russian spy whale, dies in Norway

In the southwest of Norway, a beluga whale known as Hvaldimir—so named because of his peculiar harness, which raised questions about whether or not it was a Russian spy—was discovered dead.


A father and son going fishing on Saturday saw the whale's body drifting off the southern Norwegian bay of Risavika, according to Norwegian state broadcaster NRK.


The name Hvaldimir, which combines the Norwegian term "hval" meaning whale with the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was initially observed in 2019 off the coast of far northern Norway.


His fabricated harness, resembling a camera mount bearing the words "Equipment St Petersburg" stamped on it, intensified rumours that he was a "spy whale."


Hvaldimir might have escaped an enclosure and received training from the Russians, according to Norwegian officials.

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