Hvaldimir first came to public attention in 2019 when he was spotted wearing a belt, presumably for attaching photography or filming equipment, which read “Equipment, St. Petersburg”. The animal’s unusual name is a combination of the Norwegian word for whale – “hval” – and the name of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Although Hvaldimir was rumored to be a Russian spy dolphin, Russia has never confirmed this and has not admitted to any projects. Despite this, Hvaldimir was extremely friendly and at ease with people – so most people assumed that he had spent a lot of time in captivity.
“Hvaldimir was not only a white dolphin, but also a beacon of hope, a symbol and a reminder of the deep connection between humans and the natural world. Over the past five years, he has touched the lives of tens of thousands of people, instilling wonder at the wonders of nature. His presence taught us about the importance of saving the oceans, and he also taught us more about ourselves,” the charity Marine Mind wrote on social media.
A father and son fishing found the whale’s body floating in Risavika Bay in southern Norway on Saturday, August 31. The body was then lifted out of the water by a crane, and experts will perform a necropsy at a nearby port. No apparent cause of death has been determined at this time.
Sebastian Strand, a marine biologist and founder and CEO of the charity Marine Mind, who has been involved in tracking Hvaldimir’s adventures and campaigning for him to be given safe haven in a Norwegian fjord, told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that “it’s absolutely horrific. He looked in good condition as recently as Friday, so we just have to figure out what could have gone wrong here.”
White dolphins can live up to 90 years in the wild – and it is estimated that Hvaldimir was only about 15 years old when he died, IFL Science writes.
2024-09-03 15:24:34