ALBAWABA - It has been discovered that a white beluga whale known with the name "Hvaldimir" has died, AP reports. He was originally seen in Norway, not too far from Russian seas, wearing a harness, which sparked speculation that he may be a spy for Moscow.
The whale's body was discovered floating in Risavika Bay in southern Norway on Saturday by a father and son who were out fishing, according to the Norwegian national broadcaster NRK.
A crane was used to hoist the beluga out of the water and transport it to a local seaport, where it would be examined by specialists. The name of the beluga was derived from a combination of the Norwegian term for whale, which is hval, and the first name of the Russian President Vladimir Putin.
At that time, Norwegian marine researchers retrieved a harness that had been fastened to the animal. The harness had a mount that was designed for an action camera, and the plastic clasps had the words "Equipment St. Petersburg" written on them, as reported by AFP.
It was speculated by Norwegian authorities that Hvaldimir may have escaped from confinement and might have been trained by the Russian navy owing to the fact that he looked to be acclimated to people. Moscow, on the other hand, has never presented any official response to the rumors that he may be a "Russian spy."
Sebastian Strand, a marine scientist who has been following Hvaldimir's travels for the last three years on behalf of the non-profit organization Marine Mind, located in Norway, told NRK, as AP cites, that “Unfortunately, we found Hvaldimir floating in the sea. He has passed away but it’s not immediately clear what the cause of death is.”
