A beloved whale long suspected of being a Russian 'spy' was shot dead, animal-rights groups say

• Hvaldimir, a beluga whale accused of being a Russian spy, was found dead off the coast of Norway.
• Animal rights groups have filed a police report saying they believe the whale was shot to death.

A white beluga whale nicknamed Hvaldimir, beloved in Norway and believed to have been trained to spy for Russia, was found dead in Norwegian waters over the weekend.

A group of veterinarians now say the whale was shot to death.

On Wednesday, two animal-rights organizations, OneWhale and NOAH, announced that they have filed a police report with local authorities and Norway's national authority on environmental crimes.

In the report, they raised the possibility of "intentional human-inflicted injury," their statement said.

"When I saw his body and the multiple injuries, I immediately knew he had been killed by gunshots," Regina Haug, founder of OneWhale, which had been involved in the protection of Hvaldimir, said in the statement.

"I even saw a bullet lodged in his body," she continued. "There is no question that this kind, gentle animal was senselessly murdered."

The animal-rights groups provided Business Insider with images of the whale's body, which appeared to show bullet holes.

The lifeless body of Hvaldimir was discovered by a teenage fisherman and his father near the town of Risavika on Saturday morning.

Hvaldimir was believed to be about 15 years old, and beluga whales can live up to 60 years in the wild.

His name was a pun on the Norwegian word for "whale" and Russian leader Vladimir Putin's name, in keeping with the "Equipment St. Petersburg" label on his harness and GoPro camera when he was spotted off Norway's northern coast in 2019.

That sighting fueled a theory that Hvaldimir was trained by Russia's military, which has a history of using marine animals like dolphins and beluga whales.

Hvaldimir gained celebrity status in Norway, with viral videos showing the whale returning lost items to their owners and playing with a rugby ball.

The death of Hvaldimir comes amid growing tensions between Russia and Norway, an active NATO member that has been ramping up military drills and exercises in the region due to fears of Russian aggression.

"The injuries on the whale are alarming and of a nature that cannot rule out a criminal act — it is shocking," Siri Martinsen, a veterinarian and the leader of animal-rights group NOAH, said in the statement.

She added: "Given the suspicion of a criminal act, it is crucial that the police are involved quickly. Hvaldimir was significant to many, and all facts must be brought to light regarding his death."

In a conversation with Business Insider, Martinsen said it's not clear who may have shot Hvaldimir.

"No, we have no information about that, and that is why we are filing a report this early in the process," she said.

Martinsen said that before the whale's death, her organization had assessed the risk level of Russia attempting to kill or capture the whale as "extremely low."

Sebastian Strand, the founder of Marine Mind, an organization that cared for Hvladimir, told BI that he's holding off on jumping to any conclusions, describing the allegations as "speculation."

He added that Norway's veterinary institute "has not released their findings yet."

In a follow-up message, Strand confirmed that the photos show "presumed bullet wounds" and that the "same thought has, of course, crossed everybody's mind," but he warned against "jumping the gun."

A spokesperson for the Norwegian Veterinary Institute said it cannot comment on any results as Hvladimir's autopsy is still ongoing.

In an email to BI, they said: "We have, together with the Directorate of Fisheries of Norway, been in contact with the police ahead of the autopsy, and will, of course, involve them if we uncover anything indicating anything suspicious."