2023-05-25 16:36:08
Oslo
“Don’t play with Hvaldimir” – Norway worries about Russian spy whale
The beluga whale Hvaldimir has been swimming off the coast of Norway for four years. Experts suspect him to be a “Russian spy”. The authorities are now worried about the animal.
updated
The playful beluga whale Hvaldimir is used to being close to people. But the authorities are concerned that the animal could be injured in boat traffic because of this.
In 2019, the beluga whale Hvaldimir appeared in Norway for the first time.
Marine biologists suspect the whale was trained by the Russian Navy.
Because the beluga whale is currently in a popular holiday resort, the authorities are concerned about its safety.
Norwegians are currently being warned not to get too close to a playful beluga whale. According to experts, it could be at the animal be a Russian «spy». The beluga whale is currently in the Oslofjord area. The inhabitants of the Norwegian capital Oslo like to spend their summer holidays there. The beluga whale’s migration to the area has raised concerns that it will need to be captured for its safety.
Fisheries Director Frank Bakke-Jensen said: “We have always communicated that the whale in question is a wild animal and we see no reason to capture and lock it up.” The whale is now “in a vulnerable area” and access to food could be restricted. Therefore, the authorities must now examine measures.
Authorities warn the population
According to the Daily Mail, marine biologists have said in the past that it was “undoubted” that the whale was trained. You had pointed out that Russia in the past trained beluga whales to “carry out military operations”. A fisherman freed the whale four years ago from a harness said to be capable of carrying surveillance equipment. The inscription “Equipment St. Petersburg” fueled the suspicion that the animal was trained by the Russian Navy.
The beluga whale was given the name Hvaldimir after its discovery in 2019, a combination of the Norwegian word for whale (hval) and Vladimir Putin, in reference to its possible Russian connections.
According to the “Daily Mail” it is a tame animal. It keeps following boots and play with the people on board, which can also be seen in various videos. In a statement released yesterday, Bakke-Jensen said people should keep their distance “even if the whale is tame and used to being around people”. The aim is to prevent the whale from being injured or, in the worst case, killed by boat traffic. The whale has already “suffered minor injuries, mainly from contact with boats”.
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