Abhay Singh
The beluga whale named “Hvaldimir” was tragically discovered deceased in Norway during August. According to Norwegian authorities, the cause of death was identified as a bacterial infection rather than gunshot wounds.
It was revealed that the infection likely stemmed from a wound in the whale’s mouth, which was caused by a stick becoming lodged. This information surfaced last Friday, shedding light on the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate event.
The whale first spotted in 2019
The 2,700-pound, 14-foot whale was first seen in 2019 wearing a harness that said “Equipment St. Petersburg,” which stoked rumors that he was a Russian spy.
People started calling him Hvaldimir, the spy whale, as a result. Hvaldimir is a combination of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first name with the Norwegian term “hval,” which means whale.
On August 31, the white whale was discovered dead outside of Stavanger. The animal rights groups One Whale and NOAH reported to the authorities that they believed the whale had been shot dead.
Subsequently, during an autopsy performed on behalf of the Directorate of Fisheries, the Veterinary Institute in Sandnes discovered a 35-centimeter (14-inch) stick embedded in his mouth.
Amund Preede Revheim, Norway police official said “The report concluded that the probable cause of death was a bacterial infection, possibly a result of wounds in his mouth caused by a stick that got stuck,”
A statement by Norway police read “Pinnen (Norwegian word for peg, a wooden stick) may also have led to Hvaldimir having challenges with its nutrition, thus increasing infections,”
It also added “Assessment done by the Veterinary Institute and police criminal technicians found that there was no injury. X-ray of the chest and head can be conducted without the presence of a projector or other metal fragments,”
The police didn’t find any trace of bullets
No additional investigation was conducted by the authorities since they were unable to locate any bullet evidence.
Preed Revheim said “There are no investigations that indicate that Hvaldimir is living illegally. The police therefore had no reason to launch an investigation into the whale’s death, and responded to the incoming report”
Remains are typically incinerated at the Veterinary Institute following autopsies for biosecurity purposes. At this instance, the Directorate of Fisheries has made the decision to give the White Whale Hvaldimir’s skeleton to the UiA University at Agder’s Nature Museum and Botanical Garden.
Norway asked its people not to get in touch with Hvaldimir after he was spotted in a fjord near Oslo last year.
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