Death of ‘Russian Spy’ Whale Hvaldimir Not Caused by Humans, Say Norway Police
Published on September 10, 2024
OSLO—A beluga whale discovered with a harness strapped around its neck in Norwegian waters five years ago—and found dead on Aug. 31—had a stick stuck in its mouth and its death was not related to human activity, police said on Monday. The body of Hvaldimir—a combination of the Norwegian word for whale and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin—was spotted a week ago floating in the sea by a father and son fishing in southern Norway. The animal became the subject of media attention since it was discovered off Norway’s Arctic coast in 2019 wearing a harness with what appeared to be a mount for a small camera....