Mysterious detail offers clue to Hvaldimir the Russian spy whale’s death

Hvaldimir the Russian spy whale was mysteriously found dead just over a week ago. As those who knew the world-famous beluga continue to mourn his loss, the preliminary results of his necropsy have been released, sparking a sensational response.

One specific detail in the findings sparks more questions than it answers, mirroring the strange circumstances of the friendly whale's first appearance in 2019, when he was discovered in Norwegian waters wearing a harness inscribed with “equipment of St Petersburg", sparking theories he was a trained Russian whale.

While Hvaldimir had appeared to be in good body condition prior to his death, the preliminary results released by the police indicate he had no food in his stomach, and his internal organs were collapsing. But one detail that's particularly baffled those who have monitored the whale is the discovery of a 35 cm stick inside his mouth.

One possible explanation for the stick's presence is that locals would often try to play fetch with him, and there were reports in 2021 of locals placing objects in his mouth to see how he’d react. But it’s also possible he simply picked it up to entertain himself while swimming alone.

Sebastian Strand who founded Marine Mind, a non-profit group that advocated for Hvaldimir’s welfare and regularly monitored him at sea, told Yahoo News on Monday (local time) the results were not a “huge surprise” except for the stick. “[I] did not know of that before today. But I also never looked in his mouth,” he said.

Was Hvaldimir the Russian spy whale shot?

Before the release of the necropsy, non-profit group One Whale and local animal rights campaigners NOAH, raised suspicions Hvaldimir had been shot, and filed a police report detailing their concerns. The tiny round circles on his body that appeared to resemble bullet holes created the suspicion immediately after his death, but others with knowledge of the whale told Yahoo at the time they suspected they were marks from birds pecking at the whale’s flesh.

There appears to be no direct evidence Hvaldimir was harmed by humans, and police have now ruled out that he was shot and reported most of the wounds were superficial. While one wound was slightly deeper, they don’t believe it could have impacted his vital organs.

After the necropsy was released, One Whale and NOAH did not appear to be convinced by its findings, and responded in a joint statement saying, “Questions remain regarding the marks on Hvaldimir's body that appear to resemble gunshot wounds. Instead of addressing these concerns, the police have cited the discovery of a stick in the whale’s mouth as a point of focus.”

They maintain a “satisfactory explanation” has not been provided as to what caused the marks, and offered a Norwegian krone 50,000 ($6,900) reward for anyone with information that could prompt the reopening of the police investigation.

Whale advocate plans to mourn Hvaldimir's death

Before Hvaldimir was found dead, his future in Norway was being fiercely debated. One Whale had been working with local authorities on a plan to relocate the whale to waters closer to Russia, citing concerns about his welfare. But more than 70 scientists and conservationists had signed a letter opposing the idea, arguing it put his life at greater risk, and warning he may not adapt to new surroundings. What happens with Hvaldimir's body now is yet to be decided.

The final necropsy is two weeks away, and it is expected to elaborate in detail on the preliminary findings. An exhausted and heartbroken Strand told Yahoo News he plans to take the opportunity to rest and mourn the whale's death.

“[I’m] still crushed and now that things are winding down, I’m going to take some days to allow myself to actually mourn,” he told Yahoo on Monday night (local time).

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