Hvaldimir, the beluga “spy” whale has died. The Norwegian public broadcaster NRK reported that the whale’s body was found floating in the Risavika Bay in southern Norway on Saturday by a father and son who were fishing.
The beluga, whose nickname was a combination of the Norwegian word for whale – hval – and the first name of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, was lifted out of the water by crane and taken to a nearby harbor, where experts will examine it.
In the Spring of 2019, fishermen off the coast of Norway near Hammerfest, encountered a beluga whale wearing a harness inscribed with the label “Equipment of St. Petersburg.” After being freed from the harness, the whale remained in the area and appeared to enjoy interacting with humans. Researchers think the beluga may have been a Russian spy in training.