The beloved Russian "spy whale" is believed to have been shot and killed by poachers
A famous white whale accused of being a Russian spy was shot to death by poachers, animal rights groups claim.
Hvaldimir, a 14ft beluga whale, was found floating lifelessly by a father and son out on a fishing trip in Norway’s Risavika Bay on Sunday.
The famous whale gained a loyal fan base after he was found by Norwegian fishermen with a harness labelled ‘Equipment St Petersburg’ in 2019, sparking rumours he may have escaped from a Russian spy facility.
An autopsy was carried out by veterinarians following his death, which animal rights groups say ‘clearly’ shows Hvaldimir’s body riddled with bullets.
‘When I saw his body and the multiple injuries, I immediately knew he had been killed by gunshots,’ said Regina Haug, founder of animal rights group OneWhale, which had been involved in the protection of Hvaldimir.
‘I even saw a bullet lodged in his body,’ she continued. ‘There is no question that this kind, gentle animal was senselessly murdered.’
Hvaldimir became a sensation in Norway due to his friendly nature towards humans, with videos showing the whale playing with a rugby ball and returning lost items to their owners.
His name was a cheeky homage to his alleged undercover activity, with Hvaldimir being a portmanteau of ‘Hval’, the Norwegian word for ‘white’, and ‘Vladimir’- a reference to Russian president Putin.
The Russian Navy has been known to train aquatic mammals such as whales and seals for warfare, and it is rumoured that is where Hvaldimir may have originated.
Photos of Hvaldimir’s corpse published by One Whale on social media appear to show bullet wounds in the whale’s bloodied body.
‘The injuries on the whale are alarming and of a nature that cannot rule out a criminal act – it is shocking,’ said Noah director, Siri Martinsen.
The whale’s corpse was discovered by Storm Karolius Kristiansen, 16, who was mackerel fishing with his dad when they stumbled across the huge sea animal off the coast of fishing village Tanager.
Kristiansen told Norwegian broadcaster NRK: ‘At first I thought it was a boat that had capsized, so me and my father drove over there to check it out.
Hvaldimir was fitted with a harness which read ‘Equipment St Petersburg’ and an empty camera slot
Hvaldimir was found dead by a father and son while out fishing over the weekend
‘By then there was already a boat with some biologists who had followed the whale.’
Following the discovery, the pair tied a rope around the whale’s tail and dragged it to shore to stop nosy bystanders from gathering around them.
The 16-year-old said: ‘I was shocked. I had never imagined a whale lying in Tananger. I’ve never experienced anything close to that before.’
Hvaldimir was believed to be around 15 years old at the time of his death, which is still considered young for Beluga whales, which can live to 60.
Police told local media they would look into the matter ‘to determine whether there are reasonable motives to launch an investigation’.
A full autopsy report is expected in around three weeks.
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