Norwegian police stated on Friday that a beluga whale found deceased in August in Norway, believed by some to be a Russian spy whale, likely passed away due to an infection instead of gunshot injuries.
Given the pun on the Norwegian word for whale and its supposed Russian connections, the white beluga dubbed “Hvaldimir” emerged off the coast of Norway’s Finnmark region in 2019 and gained rapid fame in the nation. His body was discovered lifeless on August 31 in a bay located on the southwestern coast of Norway.
The organizations NOAH and One Whale stated that the whale had been killed by gunfire and reported the incident to the police. An autopsy performed by the Norwegian Veterinary Institute revealed a 35-centimetre (14-inch) stick stuck in his mouth.
Police official Amund Preede stated in a statement on Friday that the report found that the likely reason for death was a bacterial infection, potentially from injuries in his mouth made by a stuck stick. He also mentioned that the stick might have made it hard for Russian spy whale Hvaldimir to eat, thus raising the chance of infection. Police reported they did not find any bullets and chose not to launch an inquiry. Preede Revheim stated that there is no indication in the tests that Russian spy whale Hvaldimir was unlawfully killed.
In 2019, marine biologists from Norway discovered Russian spy whale Hvaldimir and took off a harness that was made by humans, which had a mounting for a camera and the phrase “Equipment St. Petersburg” written in English on the plastic fasteners.
Norwegian authorities suggested that the whale could have broken free from a containment area and subsequently been taught by the Russian navy. Moscow has yet to provide an official statement regarding the speculation that the whale might be a “Russian spy”.