The One Whale organization, which had observed Hvaldimir for years, insists he was perfectly healthy with no signs of illness
The celebrity beluga whale dubbed a “Russian spy” was found dead in Risavika Bay in southern Norway over the weekend, according to the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.
The white whale first rose to fame in April 2019 when he was discovered off the northern coast of Norway allegedly wearing a camera harness labeled ‘Equipment St. Petersburg.’ This led to jokes that the marine mammal was on a spy mission from Moscow, earning him the nickname Hvaldimir – a combination of the Norwegian word for whale (hval) and the name of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
”Unfortunately, we found Hvaldimir floating in the sea; he has passed away,” said Sebastian Strand, a marine biologist who monitored the whale for several years. He added that the cause of death remains unknown.
“It’s absolutely horrible. He was apparently in…