The "Spy whale" was not subjected to gunfire.
In August, the controversial "surveillance whale" known as Hvaldimir was discovered deceased in a Norwegian fjord. Animal rights activists are raising eyebrows due to the whale's injuries, hinting at potential misconduct. However, veterinary experts arrived at a distinctly different conclusion following an autopsy.
Contrary to initial assumptions, Hvaldimir, the "spy whale" of Norway, wasn't likely the victim of a targeted shooting. Instead, veterinarians propose bacterial infection as the most probable cause of death. This possibility could be linked to a wound in its mouth, as suggested by the local police, based on findings from the Norwegian Veterinary Institute's final report. No signs of gunshot wounds could be identified, according to Amund Preede Revheim, head of the environmental department of the South-West police district.
The Norwegian Veterinary Institute and forensic examiners determined that the whale's skin bore several shallow wounds, which, to their astonishment, were not traces of gunshots. No projectiles or metallic debris were detected during the examination.
Hvaldimir: Spy or Support Whale?
Hvaldimir's alias sprung from the Norwegian word for whale and Russian President Putin's first name. In 2019, Hvaldimir surfaced near Russian waters, sporting a small camera attachment and the phrase "Equipment St. Petersburg" etched on its body. This led many to conjecture that Hvaldimir was a Russian spy whale or even a therapy whale.
Following Hvaldimir's death in late August 2024, in a fjord nearby Stavanger, animal welfare organizations, including OneWhale and Noah, alerted Norwegian authorities about the whale's injuries. These organizations suspected criminal activity due to photographic evidence and the opinions of several veterinarians, biologists, and ballistic experts.
The European Union expressed concern over the controversial circumstances surrounding Hvaldimir's death, as this incident has sparked international attention due to the whale's alleged spy gear. Following the finding that Hvaldimir did not die from gunshot wounds, the European Union called for a transparent investigation into the causes of its death to uphold marine life conservation standards.
