A world-famous beluga whale believed to have been trained as a Russian spy and later found dead under suspicious circumstances is now starring in its own documentary.
The Secret of the Spy Whale, which aired on BBC Two this week, tells the story of Hvardimir. Hvardimir is a 2,700-pound gentle aquatic mammal that was discovered off the coast of Norway in April 2019 by a harnessed fisherman. A mount for action cameras.
His unusual attire and friendly demeanor have led to speculation that he may have escaped after being forcibly drafted into a Russian intelligence-gathering operation known for using aquatic mammals for espionage. is.
But Russian marine mammal experts interviewed for the documentary cast doubt on at least some aspects of his background.
Dr. Olga Shpak said she believed that Hvaldimir had indeed been conscripted into the Russian military and fled from a naval base in the Arctic Circle where he had been training as a security guard.
She dismissed suspicions that he was involved in any cover-up, saying it was more likely that he fled because he was a “hooligan”.
Although Russia has neither publicly acknowledged nor denied its relationship with beluga whales, Shupak said that after the belugas were first sighted near Norway, Russia's marine animal community “immediately” identified them as their own. He said he had identified it as a type of virus. According to the BBC.
According to Shpak, the series of messages that started among trainers and veterinarians in the country were all about Andruha, a missing beluga captured in the Sea of Okhotsk in 2013.
A year later, she told the same media that Andorja/Hvardimir was transferred from a St. Petersburg dolphinarium to the Russian Arctic for military training, but the strong-willed creature could not be kept in captivity for long. spoke.
“I think when they started working in open water, trusting this animal[not to swim away]the animal gave up on them,” she says.
“What I've heard from people at commercial dolphinariums who used to keep him is that Andorja was smart and a good choice for training. But at the same time, he was a kind of hooligan, an active He had a beluga-like personality, so they weren't surprised that he gave up on the boat and went where he wanted to go.”
But like many others dabbling in Russian military affairs, Andorja/Hvaldimir died in mysterious circumstances, lying off the coast of Norway with what activists say were bullet holes. He was found floating, lifeless.
However, an autopsy revealed that the whale's death was not so dramatic or even the result of human activity.
preliminary report Shared by Norwegian Police He said there was no gunfire and that the wounds seen in the activist's photo were superficial and did not play a role in the whale's death.
Investigators found a stick about 14 inches long and 1.2 inches wide stuck in his mouth. His stomach was empty and he was experiencing widespread organ failure.
