Earlier this year, a lone beluga whale showed up along the Norwegian coast, approaching fishermen and being exceedingly friendly. The local fishermen noticed the beluga was wearing some kind of a harness and were able to remove it.
The harness was made in St. Petersburg, and many have speculated that the beluga is an escapee from the Russian military, used as a “spy” whale to help guard harbors and to find and retrieve objects on the bottom. (The US military also has an extensive trained marine mammal project, based in San Diego.) The Russian government has refused to say whether or not the beluga whale belongs to their program.
Alerted by the fishermen, a local group of activists have been occasionally feeding the beluga whale and checking regularly on his status. They named the beluga Hvaldmir after Russian President Vladimir Putin. The group has formed the Hvaldmir Foundation, collecting donations to help with this effort.
The Foundation reported on October 27th: “Thanks to the help of dedicated observers, supporters, and friends of the Hvaldimir Foundation, we were able to reach him in his current location and assess his physical and behavioral condition. We are happy to report that he demonstrates a positive trend in weight gain and his attitude and behavior seem to indicate increased confidence as he navigates the fjords of Norway. Stay safe out there, Buddy!”
The beluga has been swimming in and out of harbors in northern Norway, which has caused a lot of concern for his wellbeing. Especially dangerous are the many boats with propellers that could strike Hvaldimir in the harbors.
You can find out more on Hvaldmir Foundation Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/hvaldimirfoundation/?__tn__=%2CdkCH-R-R&eid=ARBoZykCAloWsDWXJbCNKhUvhIP7gvAW2FPR3akeIqz-dFAbrCfrrSqPSwOyWV__sibkXigKBvgabXlV&hc_ref=ARRnRIKFCUBZtf4t8GZqKJZeX_bun78FfAaE0khZhlgugXpgntM9VeUoKtUaew7swmA&fref=nf&hc_location=group