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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Helena Horton

Norway plans sanctuary for ‘spy’ whale Hvaldimir who came in from cold

Hvaldimir the beluga whale
Hvaldimir was found near the fishing village of Inga, Norway, in April 2019, wearing a harness reading ‘equipment of St Petersburg’. Photograph: Jorgen Ree Wiig/Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries/EPA

When a beluga whale started to play with Norwegian fishing boats and interact with tourists in 2019, it became an internet sensation.

The sociable creature seemed drawn to humans, and they were drawn to him. But Hvaldimir’s story seems to be a sad one; wearing a tight harness stamped with “equipment of St Petersburg”. The media went crazy, with talk of a “spy whale”.

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