Norwegian authorities confirmed that Hvaldimir, a beluga whale previously suspected of being a Russian spy, died from a bacterial infection rather than gunshot wounds.
A beluga whale known as "Hvaldimir," which gained attention off the coast of Norway, did not die from gunshot wounds, as some animal rights groups claimed. Instead, Norwegian police reported on Friday that the whale died from a bacterial infection, likely caused by a wound in its mouth.
The whale was first spotted in 2019 near Russian waters, wearing a harness that read "Equipment St. Petersburg." This led to widespread speculation that it could be a Russian spy. Many believed the whale's unique situation was related to military training by the Russian navy, which has been known to use animals for various purposes.
The whale was found floating in a bay in southern Norway on August 31, 2023. Following its discovery, two animal advocacy groups, OneWhale and NOAH, filed a police report. They argued that the whale’s injuries suggested it had been intentionally harmed. Some reports indicated that the animal had a wound that resembled a bullet hole. This prompted the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries to order an autopsy to clarify the cause of death.
Amund Preede Revheim, head of the North Sea and Environment section of the Norwegian police, stated that the final autopsy, conducted by Norway's Veterinary Institute, determined the probable cause of death to be a bacterial infection. The infection may have stemmed from a stick lodged in the whale’s mouth. Revheim emphasized that there were no findings in the autopsy that indicated the whale had been shot. He noted that the autopsy was complicated because many of the whale's organs had begun to decompose.
Despite claims from animal rights groups that there was evidence of intentional harm, police found no basis to initiate a criminal investigation. Revheim pointed out that the police had already evaluated the whale’s condition, including a stick measuring about 35 centimetres (14 inches) found in its mouth. The whale's stomach was empty, and its organs were in advanced decay.
Earlier, OneWhale and NOAH asserted that they had compelling evidence to suggest Hvaldimir’s death resulted from human-inflicted injuries. They claimed that veterinarians and ballistics experts had reviewed photographs of the whale's wounds and concluded that they were indicative of gunshot injuries. However, police countered these claims, stating that assessments by the Veterinary Institute and forensic technicians found no signs of gunshot wounds. They conducted X-rays of the whale’s chest and head, discovering no projectiles or metal fragments.
Hvaldimir was a 4.2-meter (14-foot) long and 1,225-kilogram (2,700-pound) whale, first seen by fishermen near Hammerfest, a town in northern Norway. The whale's harness and a device resembling a camera mount fueled media speculation about its origins and purpose.