Earth Science News
WHALES AHOY
No sign 'Russian spy' whale shot dead: Norway police
No sign 'Russian spy' whale shot dead: Norway police
by AFP Staff Writers
Oslo (AFP) Sept 9, 2024

Police in Norway said Monday that foul play was not suspected in the death of a beluga whale whose unusual harness had sparked suspicions it had been trained by Russia as a spy.

Nicknamed "Hvaldimir" in a pun on the Norwegian word for whale ("hval") and its purported ties to Moscow, the white beluga first appeared off the coast in Norway's far-northern Finnmark region in 2019.

Quickly becoming a celebrity in Norway, he was found dead on August 31 in a bay on the country's southwestern coast.

Last week, animal rights' organisations NOAH and One Whale claimed the whale had been shot dead and filed a police report.

With an estimated age of 15 to 20 years, Hvaldimir was relatively young for a beluga, which typically live up to 35 years, according to environmental group WWF.

The Norwegian Veterinary Institute conducted an autopsy, and police said that based on its preliminary report there was nothing to indicate "human activity" was responsible for Hvaldimir's death.

It suggested the beluga may have died of starvation, and said it would not launch an investigation.

"There is nothing in the autopsy that indicates that Hvaldimir was shot," police official Amund Preede Revheim said in a statement.

He said the whale had "totally superficial" injuries.

"One of the wounds is a little deeper, but these injuries did not affect any vital organs and were not of a deadly nature," he added.

Police did not provide a cause of death, but said a stick 35-centimetres (14 inches) long and three-centimetres wide was found lodged in his mouth.

"The autopsy revealed that his stomach was empty. In addition, most of his organs were deteriorated," Revheim said.

The head of One Whale, Regina Crosby Haug, told AFP last week that she saw "multiple bullet wounds around his body" when she said her goodbyes to Hvaldimir at the Veterinary Institute.

One Whale and NOAH had published photographs showing what they claim are bullet holes on his blood-streaked body.

NOAH said Monday the police statement "raised more questions than it answered", and offered a 50,000-kroner ($4,610) reward for information on the whale's cause of death.

When Hvaldimir was found in 2019, Norwegian marine biologists removed a man-made harness with a mount suited for an action camera and the words "Equipment St. Petersburg" printed in English on the plastic clasps.

Norwegian officials said the whale might have escaped an enclosure and been trained by the Russian navy, as he appeared to be accustomed to humans.

Moscow has never made any official response to claims the whale could be a "Russian spy".

Related Links
Follow the Whaling Debate

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
WHALES AHOY
Taiwan volunteers fight rise in whale and dolphin strandings
New Taipei City, Taiwan (AFP) Sept 6, 2024
Taiwanese volunteers gathered around a large inflatable whale as they learned how to help beached sea mammals - an increasingly common sight across the island. More than 100 dolphins and whales now wash up on Taiwan's beaches every year, a sharp rise over the past decade, according to researchers. After spotting a beached mammal, volunteers at a recent training run by the Taiwan Cetacean Society (TCS) were told not to push the mammals back into the sea, but to immediately call the coast guard w ... read more

WHALES AHOY
'Essential services' still sparse in Libya's flood-ravaged Derna

'Lost everything': survivor tells of deadly Vietnam landslide horror

Senegal migrant shipwreck death toll climbs to at least 26: navy

Trial removal of nuclear debris from Fukushima reactor begins

WHALES AHOY
3D imaging technology unlocks new insights in plastic waste recycling

First Metal Part 3D Printed in Space Aboard ISS

Amazon to make major investment in UK in boost for new Labour govt

UN experts call for global system to trace critical minerals

WHALES AHOY
Pacific Islands Forum targeted in 'cyber incident'

Unprecedented global study reveals cities receive more rainfall than surrounding rural areas

'Astonishing': Eaten eels recorded escaping from fish guts

Poland's weather agency warns most river levels low

WHALES AHOY
Researchers explore cloud dynamics in the Arctic to enhance climate models

India launches flood warning systems at Himalayan glacial lakes

Finland's Lapland sees warmest summer on record

Greenland's Accelerated Warming Linked to Clear-Sky Radiation and Atmospheric Dynamics

WHALES AHOY
AI-driven systems can cut energy usage in indoor farming by 25%, Cornell study shows

Peaches from Japan's Fukushima region sold at Harrods

'We are starving': Malawi villagers cook toxic yams to survive drought

Iraqi date farmers fight drought to protect national treasure

WHALES AHOY
Vietnam evacuates 59,000 as toll from typhoon floods climbs to 82

Magnitude-6.3 quake strikes off Papua New Guinea

Floods hit millions in West and Central Africa

Death toll from 'exceptional' Morocco floods rises to 18

WHALES AHOY
Hungary seeks foothold in restive Sahel as West pulls out

Imperilled Mali monument gets new lease of life

Burkina junta failing to stifle rising jihadist violence

China pushes smaller, smarter loans to Africa to shield from risks

WHALES AHOY
New model sheds light on human dispersal phases across Europe

Nearly 200 land and environment defenders killed in 2023, says NGO

Islands play a key role in fostering language diversity

Over half of world population have social benefits, a first: UN

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.