Animal rights advocates have filed a police report in Norway seeking a criminal investigation into the death of Hvalidmir, the beluga whale famously suspected of being a Russian spy. The animal was found dead off the Norwegian coast on Saturday, devastating conservationists and fans worldwide who’d followed his unusual story and grown attached to his playful spirit.
While the veterinary institute conducting the autopsy has yet to reveal definitive results, preliminary findings indicate the whale died by gunshot, according to the two organizations that filed the police report: nonprofit One Whale and Norwegian animal rights organization NOAH.
“The injuries on the whale are alarming and of a nature that cannot rule out a criminal act—it is shocking,” Siri Martinsen, a veterinarian and leader of NOAH, said in a statement shared via email on Wednesday. “Given the suspicion of a criminal act, it is crucial that the police are involved quickly. Hvaldimir was significant to many, and all facts must be brought to light regarding his death.”
Veterinarians, biologists and ballistics experts have reviewed close-up photos of Hvaldimir’s injuries, and “their assessments strongly suggest that the whale’s death was the result of a criminal act, prompting the need for immediate police involvement,” the statement says.
One Whale and NOAH submitted their report to the Sandnes Police District and the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime.
“When I saw his body and the multiple injuries, I immediately knew he had been killed by gunshots,” Regina Haug, founder of OneWhale, said in the statement. “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.”
One Whale has made it its mission to safeguard Hvaldimir and relocate him to a wild population of fellow belugas since he was first spotted in Northern Norway in 2019 and removed from his harness. In 2021, the whale sustained a serious wound, possibly the result of a boat or fishing equipment.
In a video statement posted to Instagram and Facebook on Saturday, One Whale’s Haug noted that at the time of his death, Hvaldimir was in heavily trafficked waters just outside of Stavanger, Norway, “so we expect it was not a natural death.”
Why People Thought Hvalidmir Was A Spy
The male white beluga whale first made global headlines after fishermen saw him swimming in northern Norway wearing a harness fitted with a camera mount and a buckle labeled “Equipment St. Petersburg.” The unusual getup led to unconfirmed speculation that the Russian military had trained the whale as an underwater spy. Hvaldimir’s nickname combines “hval,” the Norwegian word for whale, with Vladimir, for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Marine Mind, a Norway-based conservation nonprofit that’s following the whale’s movements for years, found his lifeless body floating near the southwestern town of Risavika over the weekend after getting word of a sighting by locals. The organization saw Hvaldimir and his compelling backstory as an opportunity to educate the public about the plight of marine mammals. Like One Whale, it has worked to protect the animal over the years by tracking his whereabouts and attempting to redirect him to safer waters.
Hvaldimir is estimated to have died between the ages of 14 and 17, relatively young for beluga whales, which can live to be 60. Marine Mind is grief-stricken, its founder Sebastian Strand said over text message on Wednesday. Still, the organization is not ready to offer public conjecture on the cause of death.
“While certain marks can be compelling, we cannot see it as conclusive evidence until the institute and professionals doing the investigation give their assessment,” Strand said. “Because we cannot speak conclusively, we have refrained from sharing our speculations.”
Beluga whales, which can grow to be more than 20 feet long, primarily live in the Arctic Ocean and its adjoining seas. The World Wildlife Foundation categorizes them as a near threatened species, meaning they may be vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Hvaldimir could often be seen approaching boats, even tossing a rugby back and forth with passengers in one video.
“Over the past five years, he touched the lives of tens of thousands, bringing people together in awe of the wonders of nature,” Marine Mind said in a Facebook post following the celebrity whale’s passing. “His presence taught us about the importance of ocean conservation, and in doing so, he also taught us more about ourselves.”
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