The Swedish population announced this week the recent sighting of a beluga whale that has been accused of being a spy for Russia.
The whale was first seen in 2019 in Norwegian waters. On that occasion, it was claimed that the animal came from a military installation on Russian territory and was classified as a Moscow spy by having a harness that had a Russian inscription.
This is what is known about the whale and its recent sighting in Swedish waters.
An ‘alleged spy beluga’
This beluga became famous four years ago when it was first seen. Since then, he has been accused of being a trained cetacean by Moscow troops.
It should be remembered that, in the past, Russia tried to carry out a dolphin training program that finally closed in 1990. However, according to the AP agency, a document released in 2017 put on the table rumors of training whales, seals and dolphins on Russian territory with a military objective.
That antecedent made the eyes on the beluga whale as soon as it was sighted in 2019.
(Also read: Fight against gangs and high popularity: this has been Bukele’s 4 years in power)
According to AFP, when the animal first appeared in the Norwegian Arctic“marine biologists from the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries removed an attached artificial harness.”
”The harness had a suitable mount for a camera and the words ‘Team St. Petersburg’ printed on the plastic clasps. Directorate officials said the animal may have escaped from an enclosure and may have been trained by the Russian army, since it seemed to be used to humans, “quoted the aforementioned agency.
(Also: The Happiest Country in the World will pay travelers to learn why it holds the title)
Moscow has not commented on the matter.
In Norway, the beluga received its current name. Now it is known as Hvaldimir. It is a name that combines the Norwegian word for whale: Hval, with the name of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Its appearance in Swedish waters
And this week The OneWhale organization was in charge of confirming the appearance of Hvaldimir in Swedish waters after monitoring it recently.
The AFP reported that the animal had been moving slowly along the Norwegian coast for three years. But, According to OneWhale, in recent days it has accelerated its movements and finally arrived in Sweden.
“We don’t know why it has accelerated so much at the moment, especially as it is moving very quickly away from its natural environment,” Sebastian Strand, a marine biologist with the organization that monitors the animal, told AFP.
(Keep reading: The deadly ‘zombie’ drugs alerting Mexico and the United States)
According to the biologist, the beluga – between 13 and 14 years old – would be moving to those waters due to its impulse to look for a mate.
This week, the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries urged the population to avoid contact with the animal to protect the species.
(Also read: On video: woman drove her car to the beaches of Florida and put it in the sea)
The risk of the whale being injured due to human contact has become significantly higher
“It has reached a very densely populated area, and the risk of the whale being injured due to human contact has become significantly higher,” the Fisheries Directorate said.
According to CNN, the authorities have already identified that Hvaldimir likes to get close to the ships and play with the people on board, thus emphasizing their call to care for the animal.
“We especially encourage people in boats to keep a good distance to prevent the whale from being injured or, in the worst case, killed by boat traffic,” said Frank Bakke-Jensen, director of fisheries, as quoted by CNN. .
In any case, The OneWhale Foundation, which monitors the beluga, has asked to protect the animal and is in contact with the Swedish authorities. They are concerned, above all, about their weight, since in Swedish waters they may have greater difficulties finding food.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
TIME
#spy #whale #Sweden #sights #beluga #allegedly #trained #Russia