In a tragic turn of events, a beloved whale has been found dead under mysterious circumstances.
Hvaldimir, a beluga whale famous around the Baltic and North Sea area, was discovered dead Saturday.
The whale, long believed to be an escaped Russian spy animal, was found lifeless in the waters off Stavanger, Norway. Clues indicate this popular marine mammal did not peacefully die of old age.
“We learned earlier today that Hvaldimir has died,” OneWhale, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting Haldimir, wrote on Facebook.
“We don’t know the manner of death yet but he was in heavily trafficked waters just outside of Stavanger, Norway, so we expect it was not a natural death,” the post ominously added.
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The group’s founder, Reginia Haug, asserted the whale had blood pouring from holes in his body.
“Not one of them believe that Hvaldimir died of natural causes,” Haug said of veterinarians and biologists who saw pictures of the injuries.
Not everyone believes Hvaldimir’s death was malicious, however.
Was this whale killed?
Marine Mind founder Sebastian Strand, the man who found the whale dead, confirms the animal was alive just 24 hours before. Strand told AFP that there were no visible injuries on Hvaldimir.
OneWhale confirmed the Norwegian government will be examining the whale’s body to determine the cause of death and any other relevant information.
Hvaldimir first became known when fishermen off the Norwegian coast spotted him in 2019. The whale was equipped with a camera harness reading “Equipment St. Petersburg,” according to NPR.
His friendly demeanor and eager interaction with humans soon endeared him to people around the region.
The circumstances surrounding Hvaldimir’s sudden appearance, as well as his friendly attitude toward people, led many to believe the animal was an escaped member of a Russian espionage program.
Marine mammals have long been a staple of the country’s intel and special operations programs.
Russia has capable anti-diver combat dolphins which are thought to be trained to locate enemy divers and equipment, alerting handlers to their locations.
Whales and seals have also been confirmed in the program.
Hvaldimir’s age is not known, but it is speculated that he was around 15 years old at the time of his death. For beluga whales, which can easily live to 60, this is an untimely death.
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