“Russian spy whale” probably shot

Two Norwegian animal welfare groups claim that the famous beluga puppy Hvladimir was most likely killed

A beluga whale that Western media once claimed was a Russian spy was likely shot dead, two animal rights groups said after the animal’s carcass was found in Norway last weekend.

OneWhale and NOAH announced on Thursday that they had filed a complaint with Norwegian police, calling on them to launch a criminal investigation into the death of the animal, named Hvaldimir. The activists shared several pictures of the dead whale, whose body shows multiple gunshot wounds.

“When I saw his body and the numerous injuries, I knew immediately that he had been killed by gunshots. I even saw a bullet lodged in his body. There is no doubt that this kind, gentle animal was senselessly murdered,” Said Regina Haug, founder of OneWhale, a group dedicated to protecting Hvaldimir.

The whale was found dead in Risavika Bay in southern Norway over the weekend and is currently being examined by experts from the Norwegian Veterinary Institute. Official autopsy results are expected to arrive. “within three weeks.”

“The whale’s injuries are alarming and of a nature that cannot rule out criminal activity – it is shocking. Given the suspicion of criminal activity, it is vital that the police are involved quickly. Hvaldimir was important to many and all the facts surrounding his death must be brought to light,” said Siri Martinsen, director of NOAH, Norway’s largest animal rights group.

The police confirmed that they had received the groups’ complaint and would now “To determine whether there are reasonable grounds for initiating an investigation.” The veterinary institute told AFP that it would notify the authorities separately if the autopsy showed “something suspicious.”

However, this claim has been disputed by Marine Mind, an animal rights group that has long disagreed with OneWhale over Hvaldimir’s protection. “We have seen markings, but it is too early to determine the cause of death,” The group’s leader, Sebastian Strand, told AFP and suspected that at least some of the wounds were caused by seabirds.

The now deceased famous white beluga whale first appeared off the coast of Norway’s northern Finnmark region in 2019. When discovered, the animal was reportedly wearing an action camera harness labelled “Equipment St. Petersburg”, sparking wild media speculation that it was in fact a “Russian spy whale” on a mission. However, some suspected that the Beluga was actually a trained “Therapy whale.”

The animal was nicknamed “Hvaldimir” – a play on the Norwegian word for whale (hval) and the name of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The marine mammal was known to be friendly to humans, often approaching boats and interacting with sailors.