Russian "intelligence marine mammal" Hvaldimir underwent "lethal intervention"
A few years ago, a beluga whale known as Hvaldimir was discovered with a camera harness, leading to speculation that it had been trained by the Russian navy for spying purposes. Following its peaceful existence on the Norwegian coast, Hvaldimir was later found deceased. The cause of its demise has now been identified.
Recently, animal welfare organizations Noah and One Whale revealed that Hvaldimir had suffered multiple gunshot wounds, prompting concerns about potential foul play. Regina Crosby Haug, director of One Whale, described the injuries as "disturbing and indicative of a criminal act," while Siri Martinsen, director of Noah, echoed these sentiments.
Images released by the organizations revealed a bloodied Hvaldimir with visible gunshot wounds, suggesting the presence of bullets. The animal welfare groups have reported the incident to the police and requested a thorough investigation.
The whale's body was discovered in a Norwegian bay on a Saturday and transported to the local branch of the national veterinary institute for post-mortem examination. The outcomes of this examination are expected within three weeks, with the institute vowing to inform the authorities if any suspicious findings are uncovered.
Connections to the Russian navy?
The whale was initially spotted in Norway in 2019, wearing a harness affixed with a camera, inscribed with "Equipment of St. Petersburg". Due to this, the Norwegians dubbed the whale "Hvaldimir," with "Hval" meaning "whale" in Norwegian and "dimir" referencing its suspected Russian links.
At the time, the Norwegian fisheries directorate posited the theory that Hvaldimir had been trained by the Russian navy and had escaped captivity. Scientists were able to remove the harness from the whale, but the true objective and origin of the equipment remain enigmatic. The Russian government has yet to comment on these theories.
Both the Soviet Union and the United States utilized dolphins during the Cold War. These marine mammals were trained to detect underwater submarines and naval mines, as well as to single out suspicious individuals or objects near harbors and ships.
Despite the initial speculations of training by the Russian navy, the recent findings of multiple gunshot wounds on Hvaldimir suggest a different narrative. This incident has sparked concerns among animal welfare organizations and police investigations.
The whistleblowing from organizations Noah and One Whale, along with the visible gunshot wounds on Hvaldimir, question the former notion of the whale being a trained spy for the Russian navy.
