A beluga whale that was suspected of spying for Russia after being discovered in Norwegian waters five years ago has been found dead.
This was according to the non-profit organisation, Marine Mind that had been monitoring the whale.
Marine Mind on social media said "Hvaldimir” was not just a beluga whale, but a beacon of hope, a symbol of connection, and a reminder of the deep
A marine biologist, Sebastian Strand, who works with Marine Mind, told newsmen that "Hvaldimir” was apparently in good condition as of Friday and no major external injuries were visible on the animal while investigations are on to ascertain the cause of its death.
According to a report, the body of the whale nicknamed “Hvaldimir”, a combination of the Norwegian word for whale and the first name of Russian President, Vladimir Putin was spotted floating in the sea by a father and son fishing in southern Norway over the weekend.
Hvaldimir was wearing a harness with what appeared to be a mount for a small camera when he was first found in 2019 near the island of Ingoya in Norway's north, around 300km from the Russian maritime border.
The harness was stamped with "Equipment St Petersburg" in English.
Report also noted that the whale was very interested in people and responded to hand signals, leading Norway's domestic intelligence agency to presume he had been held in captivity in Russia as part of a research programme before crossing into Norwegian waters.
Meanwhile, Moscow has never responded to the allegations.
