Foul Play Suspected In Death Of Russian Spy Whale

Hvaldimir, whose name comes from a combination of the Norwegian word for whale—hval—and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first name, became famous in 2019 when he was spotted wearing an odd bespoke harness with camera mounts.

Many claimed the animal was trained by the Russian military, leading the media to dub him a “spy whale.” Now, it seems, Hvaldimir’s cloak-and-dagger life may have resulted in a violent reckoning for the gentle creature.

Hvaldimir may have been “shot to death,” according to a pair of Norwegian animal rights groups. OneWhale and NOAH—National Office of Animal Health—alleged on Wednesday that the spy whale had been murdered.

The groups are now demanding a criminal investigation “based on compelling evidence that the whale was killed by gunshot wounds,” as OneWhale posted on Instagram two days ago.

The post includes graphic pictures of Hvaldimir’s corpse covered in what appear to be bullet holes and smears of blood. OneWhale claims, “several veterinarians, biologists, and ballistics experts have reviewed evidence of Hvaldimir’s injuries.” and they all concur the spy whale’s death was a brutal execution.

The two animal rights groups filed a joint police report with the Sandnes Police District and the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime.

OneWhale was in the process of relocating the spy whale to Northern Norway, so it could be near other belugas when Hvaldimir was allegedly gunned down. Regina Haug, founder of the organization, says she knew as soon as she saw Hvaldimir’s corpse that gunshots had killed him.

She also claims she saw  “a bullet lodged in his body.” Haug vows to “pursue justice” for the beloved whale and begs anyone who knows what really happened to Hvaldimir to come forward.

Meanwhile, Marine Mind, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting marine life, begs the public not to jump to conclusions until Norway’s Veterinary Institute has concluded its own investigation.

Marine Mind was the first to find Hvaldimir’s body and claimed upon initial inspection that it was impossible to say for sure what killed the spy whale.

Norwegian broadcaster NRK first reported that Hvaldimir’s body was discovered floating at Risavika Bay in southern Norway last Saturday. Contrary to Marine Mind’s claim, NRK reported that a father and son found the dead spy whale during a routine fishing trip.

The beluga was then lifted from the water with a crane and deposited in a nearby harbor so experts could examine it.

According to NRK, Marine biologist Sebastian Strand also claimed he could not immediately identify Hvaldimir’s cause of death. Strand says external injuries were not visible on the spy whale’s carcass then.

This initial examination would seem to fly in the face of OneWhale and NOAH’s claims that Hvaldimir died from gunshot wounds found on his exterior.

Hopefully, with multiple investigations into what happened to Hvaldimir, it won’t be long before the world knows the truth about the spy whale’s death.

Source: CNN