Celebrated Russian 'spy whale' found dead off Norwegian coast

Sept. 1 (UPI) -- A beluga whale suspected of having been trained as a Russian spy has been found dead off the coast of Norway, officials announced Sunday.

The body of the whale , named Hvaldimir, or "Whaledimir" in English, was found by an organization called Marine Mind, which has tracked the whale's movements for years.

"It is with heavy hearts that we share news of Hvaldimir's passing," the non-profit organization said in a statement on Facebook.

The organization said it had received a sighting report of Hvaldimir on Saturday morning from a local. When its workers arrived the scene, they found "Hvaldimir floating peacefully in the water, no longer with us," it said.

"Hvaldimir was not just a beluga whale; he was a beacon of hope, a symbol of connection and a reminder of the deep bond between humans and the natural world," it said.

"Over the past five years, he touched the lives of tens of thousands, bringing people together in awe of the wonders of nature. His presence taught us about the importance of ocean conservation, and in doing so, he also taught us more about ourselves."

A necropsy is to be conducted, it said.

The whale was first spotted five years ago in Norwegian waters wearing a harness for what appeared to be a camera mount. The buckle of the harness had the writing "Equipment of St. Petersburg" in English etched on it, according to Marine Mind's website .

The writing, suggesting the whale was property of Russia, combined with its heightened interest in people, led to the speculation that Hvaldimir could be a Kremlin spy.

Norwegian officials investigated the whale and named him Hvaldimir, a portmanteau on the word "hval," Norwegian for whale, and the first name of the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin.

Organizers tried to create a sanctuary for Hvaldimir in 2019 when it seemed to be seeking help, according to a concerned fisherman in the area named Joar Hesten, who sent images of the whale to a marine biologist who then contacted the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries asking for help for the whale.

Hesten donned a survival suit and jumped into the water, freed the whale and retrieved the harness.

It was unusual to see a beluga whale so far south and supporters organized to help feed and shelter the animal, which was exposed to the threat of open waters outside his natural geographic habitat.

Russia has a history of training mammals for military purposes, which has been covered extensively by local media, replete with aerial and covert photos , online, including photos that seem to show whale pens off the coast of Norway.

Hvaldimir was estimated to be about 15 years old, not considered old for a beluga, which can live to be 60.