Hvaldimir, the beluga whale suspected to have been trained to spy for the Russians. Photo: Wikipedia//Ein Dahmer
Ever since the beluga whale Hvaldimir was found dead at the end of August, there has been speculation about what caused its demise. Though some groups claimed that the animal may have been shot to death, a recent police report indicates that he more likely died after a stick became lodged in its mouth, as The Associated Press reports.
Hvaldimir, whose name is a portmanteau of the Norwegian word for whale and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin, originally rose to internet fame after being discovered off Norway’s Arctic coast in 2019. The animal was found wearing a harness with what appeared to be a mount for a small camera and an inscription reading “Equipment St. Petersburg,” leading may to believe he may have been trained by the Russian navy for naval reconnaissance. However, another theory put forth by media outlets was that the whale could have been an escaped therapy animal.
Since then, Hvaldimir has become a beloved local figure. He’s had numerous interactions with humans, including returning a lost lost GoPro to a kayaker, retrieving a dropped cell phone and even playing fetch with a Rugby World Cup ball. Interest in the whale eventually led activist groups to begin the process of attempting to relocate him to a wild beluga population in the Arctic.
However, the story of Hvaldimir ended when he was found dead on August 31 by a father and son fishing in southern Norway. Shortly after, animal rights groups began to cry foul, with OneWhale and NOAH filing a police report saying that Hvaldimir’s wounds suggested he had been killed on purpose, specifically by gunfire. “When I saw his body and the multiple injuries, I immediately knew he had been killed by gunshots,” said OneWhale founder Regina Haug in a press release. “I even saw a bullet lodged in his body. There is no question that this kind, gentle animal was senselessly murdered. We will pursue justice for Hvaldimir and hope that someone comes forward with information about his killing.”
However, experts have since refuted the assassination theory. “There is nothing in the investigations that have been carried out to establish that it is human activity that has directly led to Hvaldimir’s death,” said Preede Revheim, head of the North Sea and environment section of the police in South Western Norway. The conclusion was made after the Norwegian Veterinary Institute conducted a preliminary autopsy on the creature, which included analysis of the animal’s wounds and an x-ray.
There was one clue as to what may have killed Hvaldimir, though: 14-inch long stick found wedged in the whale’s mouth.
Revheim added that the police will not be actively investigating the case, and that the final autopsy report will be released later this month.
Still, OneWhale and NOAH are not satisfied with the results. The two groups have offered 50,000 kroner ($4,661) for any tips that could reopen the case.
