A beluga whale famously suspected of being a Russian-trained spy has migrated to the Swedish coast because he is lonely, according to a marine biologist.
Nicknamed Hvaldimir, the male beluga was first spotted in 2019 off the coast of northern Norway wearing a tight harness with the words "property of St Petersburg" printed on it.
This week he was spotted off the coast of Sweden, raising concerns among scientists monitoring his movements and safety.
"The situation has changed and he has gone from Norway into Sweden, which has more populated areas, more boats and the warmer water," marine biologist Sebastian Strand told ABC Radio National.
"Fish stocks are probably lower so we are concerned about his ability to feed."
Dr Strand said the reason for his movements could be loneliness.
"His solitude has likely made him seek out human companionship more than he would had he the option of a pod of his kinsman," he said.
"Hvaldimir belongs to a very social species but he has very, very likely not met another beluga on his travels."
Hvaldimir has been swimming up and down the north coast of Norway for the past three years.
"The closet population of belugas is Svalbard off the coast of Norway, and it was hard to communicate to him he would have to turn right," Dr Strand said.
"But I'm confident he would really like to."
Is Hvaldimir really a spy?
Hvaldimir's harness quickly led to the theory that he was trained in a Russian military program and the harness could have been used to hold a camera to film strategic targets.
"Beluga whales can dive to incredible depths so that's what sparked that he was a spy and came with a camera harness to film Norway and all of its secrets," Dr Strand said.
But Dr Strand said he doesn't believe it.
"I think the likelihood of him being a Russian spy is near zero," he said.
"I think he's a very pleasant and wonderful whale that has escaped captivity."
Animal espionage
If he was a spy, Hvaldimir wouldn't be the only animal used for, or suspected of, espionage.
In the 1960s, the US government used ravens, pigeons and cats to spy during the cold war.
The cat operation was supposedly called Acoustic Kitty and was run by the CIA.
In 2007, Iran captured 12 squirrels, accusing them of being equipped with espionage gear.
Last year, the US Naval Institute wrote that Russia had deployed trained dolphins during its invasion of Ukraine to protect a Black seas naval base.
As for the beluga, Dr Strand is hopeful a solution can be found soon.
Dr Strand's team at the OneWhale organisation has spent the past three years making sure the beluga stays away from the country's lucrative salmon farms and out of harm's way.
When he first appeared in 2019, unregulated tourism tours emerged, with people looking to catch a glimpse.
"The general sentiment is he would likely be very happy to be close to other beluga whales instead of humans as a substitute," he said.
"I've heard rumours people want to put him in zoo. We don't want him in captivity.
"He deserves a life of freedom and happiness."
