A "spy whale from Russia" was found dead in Norway

The carcass of a beluga whale, which was suspected of spying for Russia because of a special harness and was named Khvaldimir in honor of Vladimir Putin, was found on Saturday off the coast of Norway, the Norwegian non-profit animal welfare organization Marine Mind reported.

In the spring of 2019, Norwegian fishermen in the north of Norway discovered a beluga whale, on which they noticed a harness. The logo of one of the St. Petersburg companies was found on the buckle of the harness. In this regard, the Norwegian media began to write that the beluga "escaped from Russian captivity," and the animal itself was dubbed "Hvaldimir" (a combination of the Norwegian word Hval — whale and the name of the Russian president). The Norwegian Fisheries Department also urged citizens to avoid contact with the "Russian spy whale."

"It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of the death of Khvaldimir. This morning (August 31), after receiving a message from a local resident, our team arrived and found the carcass of Khvaldimir ... in the water," the organization said in a statement on the social network.

Animal rights activists added that an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death of the whale.

The New York Times newspaper in connection with the incident wrote with reference to the founder of Marine Mind Sebastian Strand that Hvaldimir showed signs of domestication and felt comfortable among people. According to the publication, the whale usually stayed in busier waters compared to other belugas, which caused concern among scientists and activists.

Beluga is a species of toothed whales from the narwhal family, found in all coastal waters of the seas of the Arctic basin, as well as the White, Bering and Okhotsk Seas. Beluga whales make regular seasonal migrations, RIA Novosti reminds.