Hvaldimir, a beluga whale with a "St. Petersburg" harness, is suspected of being a Russian Navy spy from a secret facility, here are some things to know.
1
Hvaldimir, a beluga whale, was spotted in April 2019 far south of the Arctic Circle, in Norwegian waters, wearing a harness.
2
A fisherman discovered Hvaldimir's harness, which had a camera mount and the inscription “Equipment St. Petersburg,”
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Hvaldimir is in the news again as activists lobby for a sanctuary in Norway's fjords.
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Hvaldimir can live independently as a free animal, raising concerns about his ability to fend for himself in the wild.
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Hvaldimir is believed to have been trained by the Russian Navy, based on the location and equipment found on him.
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Russia has a history of training beluga whales and dolphins for military purposes, including mine detection.
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Hvaldimir may have come from a secret Arctic marine mammal facility in Olenya Bay, known for housing nuclear-powered spy submarines.