Russian ‘spy whale’ cause of death revealed by Norwegian police

A beluga whale that lived off the coast of Norway and whose harness sparked speculation it was a Russian spy has been not down as animal rights groups claimed, but he died of a bacterial infection, Norwegian police said Friday.

A final autopsy carried out by the Norwegian Veterinary Institute “concludes that the probable cause of death was a bacterial infection, probably due to an injury to the mouth caused by a stuck stick”, said Amund Preede Revheim, head of the Sea section of the North and Environment from the Norwegian Veterinary Institute. said police in southwest Norway.

“No autopsy results indicate that the whale was slaughtered,” he stressed, adding that the autopsy was “made difficult by the fact that many of the whale’s organs were very rotten.” Since there was no indication of foul play, there was no reason to open a criminal investigation into his death, Preede Revheim said.

The tame beluga, first spotted in 2019 not far from Russian waters with a harness reading “Equipment Saint Petersburg”, had been nicknamed “Hvaldimir”, combining the Norwegian word for whale – hval – and the first name of Russian President Vladimir . Poutine.

It was found floating in a bay in southern Norway on August 31.

In September, animal rights groups OneWhale and NOAH filed a police report claiming the animal’s injuries suggested he was killed intentionally.

They pointed out several wounds found on the animal’s skin, including what was interpreted as a bullet hole.

“Evaluations made by the Veterinary Institute and police forensic technicians indicate that these are not gunshot wounds. X-rays of the chest and head were carried out without any projectile or other fragment metal has been detected,” police said in a statement.

Earlier, police described a stick about 35 centimeters (14 inches) long and 3 centimeters (1 inch) wide that was found stuck in the animal’s mouth, its stomach was empty and its organs were broken down, police said. No further details were given.

The 4.2 meter (14 foot) long and 1,225 kilogram (2,700 pound) whale was first spotted by fishermen not far from the Arctic town of Hammerfest.

Its harness, along with what appeared to be a mount for a small camera, led media to speculate that it was a “spy whale.” The Russian army has a history of trying to weaponize marine mammalsCBS News previously reported. Last year, British military spies said Russia appeared to be fighting dolphin training to counter Ukrainian forces.

Moscow has never officially responded to allegations that the whale may be a “Russian spy.”

There was no immediate reaction from OneWhale or NOAH.

“The manner in which Hvaldimir died does not impact the work OneWhale has done to protect him and defend his interests over the past five years,” OneWhale said in a statement last month. “We are proud to have made incredible progress working with Norwegian scientists, veterinarians and government.”