America News Agency

Norwegian public broadcaster NRK reported that a father and son fishing in Risavika Bay in southern Norway found the whale's body floating on Saturday.

The beluga, whose nickname is a combination of the Norwegian word for whale, hval, and Russian President Vladimir Putin's first name, was lifted out of the water by a crane and taken to a nearby harbour where experts will examine it.

Marine biologist Sebastian Strand told NRK: “Unfortunately, we found Hvaldimir floating in the sea. He has passed away, but it is not yet clear what the cause of death was.” Strand added that the animal had no significant external injuries.

Strand, who has followed Hvaldimir's adventures for the past three years on behalf of the Norway-based non-profit organization Marine Mind, said he was deeply affected by the whale's sudden death.

The 4.2-meter (14-ft) long, 1,225 kg (2,700 lb) whale was first spotted by fishermen in April 2019 near the northern island of Ingøya, not far from the Arctic city of Hammerfest. The whale was wearing a harness, a mount for a small camera, and a buckle with the words “Equipment St Petersburg.”

This led to claims that the beluga was a “spy whale”. Experts said the Russian navy is known to train whales for military purposes.

NRK said the beluga had been spotted off several Norwegian coastal towns over the years, and it soon became clear that it was very docile and liked to play with people.

Hvaldimir is very interested in people and responds to hand signals, Marine Mind said on its website. “Based on these observations, it appears that Hvaldimir came to Norway through Russian waters, where he was presumably held captive,” it said.

Norwegian media also speculated that Hvaldimir might have been used as a “therapy whale” in Russia because of this behaviour.