'Spy whale' Hvaldimir found dead off Norway coast

A beluga whale suspected in 2019 of being trained to spy for Russia has been found dead, according to non-profit organization Marine Mind, which had been monitoring the whale's movement.

He was found floating in the sea by a father and son fishing in southern Norway over the weekend, Norwegian public broadcaster NRK reported.

No external injuries were visible on the animal and it was not immediately clear what caused the death, the NGO told Norwegian media.

The whale's estimated age was 14 or 15, which was relatively young for Beluga whales, which can live up to 60 years. 

Whale was spotted in 2019 wearing a camera harness

In 2019, the whale was first spotted off the coast of Norway's far northern Finnmark region, not far from Russian waters.

It was wearing a harness for what appeared to be a small camera that was stamped with the English words "Equipment St. Petersburg."

Norwegian intelligence said the whale appeared to have been trained, and was accustomed to humans. 

The whale was given the name Hvaldimir, a combination of the Norwegian word for whale, "hval," and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Marine Mind NGO called Hvaldimir a "beacon of hope" and a "reminder of the deep bond between humans and the natural world."

Hvaldimir was very interested in people and responded to hard signals, Marine Mind said on its website, adding that it presumes the beluga whale had been "held in captivity" in Russia.

Local media in Norway speculated that Hvaldimir could have been some sort of a "therapy whale" in Russia.

Russia has never responded to the allegations.

ftm/wmr (Reuters,AFP)