In any case, Regina Crosby Haug at the organization One Whale, who has been following the whales for five years, does not believe that.
He was healthy and had no signs of illness. I bet he was hit by a boat and died from internal injuries. We have documented that Hvaldimir has swum with boats, and he has previously been hit by a boat, she says to Stavanger Aftenblad.
Crosby Haug is devastated over the news of Hvaldimir's death, she reports.
The beluga whale was discovered at the end of April 2019 and gained attention because it was very contact-seeking. Hvaldimir came when called, liked to be petted around his blowhole, and enjoyed playing with people.
He was also equipped with a camera harness marked "Equipment from St. Petersburg" – which led to speculations that he was trained to perform Russian espionage tasks.
He was found dead on Saturday in the water off Norwegian Rogaland and is now being cooled pending autopsy. He was likely between 15 and 20 years old.
