Unveiling the Tale of Russia's Misunderstood 'Spy Whale'

A beluga whale named Hvaldimir, which appeared off the coast of Norway in 2019 wearing a harness, was believed to have escaped from a Russian military program, according to marine scientist Dr. Olga Shpak. While initially speculated to be a spy, Dr. Shpak suggests the whale was trained to guard a naval base but fled due to its playful nature. Despite Russia's denial of training the whale, satellite images suggest the presence of belugas near Russian military sites. Hvaldimir's body was found in 2024, with a post-mortem revealing death by a lodged stick, dismissing theories of foul play.