Beluga whale with harness, suspected to be a 'Russian spy', spotted in Sweden

Hvaldimir has suddenly picked up speed and ventured into Swedish waters. (Image: @rheytah/Twitter)

A beluga whale sporting a harness and believed to be a Russian “spy” has reappeared off the coast of Sweden. Dubbed "Hvaldimir" by Norwegians, the whale was first spotted near northern Norway in April 2019, wearing a go pro harness with a label that read "Equipment of Saint Petersburg." The discovery sparked speculation that the whale might have been trained by the Russian navy for military purposes.

After its initial sighting, the beluga whale spent over three years leisurely meandering along the top half of Norway's coastline, but its recent actions have left experts baffled. Suddenly, Hvaldimir picked up speed, covering the second half of the Norwegian coastline and venturing into Swedish waters.

Sebastian Strand, a marine biologist with the OneWhale organization, expressed his surprise at the whale's rapid acceleration, stating, "We don't know why he has sped up so fast right now. It could be hormones driving him to find a mate. Or it could be loneliness as belugas are a very social species — it could be that he's searching for other beluga whales."

While the whale's motives remain uncertain, its behaviour is drawing attention due to its departure from its natural environment. Strand pointed out that Hvaldimir is moving swiftly away from the areas where beluga whales are commonly found, such as the Arctic Ocean and the frigid waters around Norway and Greenland.

Hvaldimir, estimated to be around 13 to 14 years old, is reaching an age when hormones are surging, experts say. This could be a factor driving the whale's restless behaviour and its urge to seek companionship. However, the closest beluga whale populations reside farther north, making its journey all the more unusual.

Early speculation about the whale's origins suggested it might have escaped from an enclosure or been trained by the Russian navy. Its familiarity with humans and apparent ease in interacting with them provided some credence to these theories. In fact, the beluga whale garnered media attention in November 2019 when it was filmed "playing catch" with a group of South African rugby fans. Additionally, Hvaldimir gained fame for retrieving a phone that had accidentally fallen into the water.

The Hvaldimir Foundation, which closely monitors the whale's activities, has raised concerns about its ability to survive in the wild. Due to its dependence on hand-feeding, Hvaldimir seems incapable of successfully hunting and feeding for itself. However, the foundation notes that the whale's health has remained stable, as it continues to forage for fish beneath Norway's salmon farms.

Belugas have a long history of association with human activities, including military endeavours. Biologists have revealed that during the Cold War, the Soviet Union trained these intelligent creatures to guard naval bases, assist divers, and locate lost equipment, such as mines and torpedoes. While the Russian military spokesperson denied any connection between Hvaldimir and a training program, they did acknowledge that dolphins have been employed for military purposes.