Hvaldimir the Beluga Whale was Shot - Claim Several Organisations
The alleged ‘spy whale’ Hvaldimir was shot dead, claim the organisations One Whale and Noah.
The animal rights organisations have filed a police report in connection with the whale’s death, they said in a press release.
The Norwegian police confirmed that they had received a report of Hvaldimir’s death, according to the NTB news agency. Sørvest Police District will now decide whether to open an investigation.
According to the chairman of the organisation One Whales, there are clear signs that someone deliberately took the life of the tame whale.
‘I’ve spent a lot of time with Hvaldimir over the last five years and know him very well. So when I saw his body and the many injuries, I could immediately see that he had been shot dead,’ said chairwoman Regina Haug, according to Norwegian media.
‘I saw a bullet lodged in his body, so there was no doubt that this friendly animal had been senselessly killed.’
The press release includes pictures allegedly showing a bullet hole in Hvaldimir.
The beluga whale was first spotted at the end of April 2019 and attracted attention because he was very contact-seeking. He was also equipped with a camera harness labelled ‘St. Petersburg equipment’ – leading to speculation that he had been trained to carry out Russian espionage.
Hvaldimir was found dead on Saturday in the waters off Stavanger, Norway. An autopsy was performed on Monday, but according to Norwegian TV 2, the report is not expected for three weeks.
Beluga whales are usually 3-5 metres long and are creamy white in colour. The head is small with a large bulge in the forehead.
Beluga whales live in groups of around ten animals led by a male. During migrations and when food is plentiful, groups of thousands can form.
The beluga whale lives in Arctic seas without thick continuous ice cover. It feeds mostly on fish, squid and benthic crustaceans.
Source: Swedish National Encyklopedia, NE.se
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