A beluga whale that attracted international attention in 2019 when it was discovered in Norway wearing a harness, leading to speculation that it was a spy trained by the Russian navy, reappeared off the coast of Sweden on Sunday 28th May 2023.
The whale, named Hvaldimir, had been slowly making its way down the top half of the Norwegian coastline over the course of three years before recently accelerating its journey towards the second half and reaching Sweden.
Hvaldimir was spotted in Hunnebostrand, a location situated along Sweden’s southwestern coast.
Marine biologist Sebastian Strand from the OneWhale organisation expressed curiosity about the sudden increase in the whale’s speed, particularly as it moved away from its natural environment.
Strand suggested that hormonal changes driving the whale’s desire to find a mate or feelings of loneliness, as belugas are highly social creatures, could be potential reasons for its accelerated movement.
According to experts, the whale, estimated to be 13-14 years old, is currently at an age where hormonal levels are high.
However, since its arrival in Norway in April 2019, it is very unlikely that Hvaldimir has encountered any other beluga whales. The nearest population of belugas resides in the Svalbard archipelago, located between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole.
Hvaldimir, originally given its name as a combination of the Norwegian word for whale (hval) and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first name, gained fame locally due to several viral videos showcasing its interactions with humans.
These videos depicted the whale picking up a woman’s dropped cell phone and engaging in a playful exchange with a kayaker by taking and returning a GoPro camera.
The nonprofit organization OneWhale was established specifically to protect Hvaldimir and has described the whale as a friendly, tamed, and displaced creature, reliant on human contact for social interaction.
However, these interactions have had negative consequences for the whale’s well-being. Hvaldimir has experienced injuries from boat propellers, sharp objects, fishing hooks, and foreign items that were placed in its mouth.
The increased boat traffic and reduced fish population in Sweden raise concerns about the heightened risks Hvaldimir may face in its current location.
