Goodbye, Hvaldimir If you’ve been hiding under a rock since 2019, you might have missed the fact that Hvaldimir, the beluga whale who was once thought to be a Russian “spy” and later became a Norwegian pensioner, was found dead over the weekend.

Hvaldimir first attracted public attention in 2019 when he was seen wearing what was believed to be a camera harness with the words “Equipment St. Petersburg” written on it. His nickname is that of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Norwegian word for whale. hval. Although there were rumors that Hvaldimir was a Russian spy whale, Russia never claimed this, nor did it ever admit that he had been trained. Despite this, Hvaldimir was exceptionally friendly and comfortable around humans, leading many to believe that he had spent a lot of time in captivity.

“Hvaldimir was not just a beluga whale; he was a beacon of hope, a symbol of connection and a reminder of the deep connection between humans and nature. Over the past five years, he has touched the lives of tens of thousands and brought people together in awe of the wonders of nature. His presence taught us the importance of protecting the oceans and, in doing so, taught us more about ourselves,” the charity Marine Mind wrote on social media.

The whale’s carcass was found floating in Risavika Bay in southern Norway by a father-son fishing team on Saturday, August 31. The body was then lifted out of the water by crane and will be examined by experts during an autopsy at a nearby port. There currently appears to be no obvious cause of death.

Marine biologist and founder and CEO of the charity Marine Mind Sebastian Strand, who has followed Hvaldimir’s adventures and campaigned to provide him with safe shelter in a Norwegian ford, spoke to Norwegian broadcaster NRK. “It’s absolutely horrific,” Strand said. “He was apparently in good condition (Friday), so we just need to find out what might have happened here.”

Beluga whales can live up to 90 years in the wild and estimates suggest that Hvaldimir was only about 15 years old when he died.