Beluga whale was Russian military asset - but no spy
www.bbc.com
Marine scientist uncovers the story behind Andruha's escape from Russian military training programme.

Summary

In 2019, a beluga whale wearing a “Equipment St Petersburg” harness appeared off Norway, sparking rumors of it being a Russian “spy whale.”

Nicknamed Hvaldimir, the social whale showed signs of prior training. Dr. Olga Shpak, a marine expert, believes Hvaldimir—formerly called Andruha—likely escaped from a Russian Arctic military base where it was trained to guard, not spy.

In September 2024, Hvaldimir was found dead, apparently from a stick lodged in its body.

  • Flying SquidMEnglish
    1•1 day ago

    I understand the joke. I just thought it was in incredibly poor taste in this context.