What the whale ? Hvaldimir, the russian spy

A famous beluga reappeared after two years of silence off the Swedish coast. The whale, Hvaldimir, takes its name from the hval “whale” and the Russian President Putin Vladimir.

It was first spotted in 2019 in Norway off Hammerfest. The Barents Sea is a geostrategic zone where the movements of Western and Russian submarines are monitored. Beluga whales would be used as spy device.

His harness was the first suspicious clue. It featured a bracket suitable for a GoPro-type action camera. In addition, the words “Equipment St Petersburg” could be read on the plastic clasps.

The second hint was its outgoing behaviour. The beluga seems to be used to humans. Hvaldimir approaches boats. Nonetheless, this sociability could be a threat. The beluga seeks people’s attention and could be hurt by the propeller. It has already suffered minor injuries.

Russian authorities never spoke about the accusation. However, they are said to have set up a pogram of this type in the 1980’s. They would recruited dolphins for military training but it have been closed in the 1990’s.

A report revealed in 2017 , states that Russian navy has resumed training beluga whales. They would test whether belugas could be used to “guard entrances to naval bases’” in Arctic regions, “assist deep-sea divers and if necessary kill any foreigners entering their territory”.

Less suspicious, wild animals raise fewer doubts. Thus, surveillance missions would be carried out with greater discretion. These are still rumors, and nothing has been confirmed. However, dolphins and sea lions would be preferred because of their better memory.