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Film Looks into the Mystery of Hvaldimir, the Beluga Whale Accused of Espionage

Five years ago, a beluga whale equipped with unusual surveillance gear appeared in the waters of Norway, sparking rumors of espionage. Nicknamed Hvaldimir by locals, the whale’s strange equipment and potential connection to Russian intelligence raised many questions. But as new information emerges, a different story about Hvaldimir’s mission is starting to take shape.

The whale, whose name combines the Norwegian word for whale, “hval,” and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was initially thought to be a spy. The harness it wore had markings suggesting it was designed for surveillance, and many believed Hvaldimir had been trained to gather intelligence. However, a new BBC documentary, Secrets of the Spy Whale, suggests a different possibility: Hvaldimir may have been trained as a “guard whale” instead, potentially serving as part of a security operation.

Jennifer Shaw, the director of the documentary, explained that the recent findings help unravel some of the mystery. “Our latest findings about the potential role that Hvaldimir had been trained to do bring us closer to solving the mystery,” she said. “But they also prompt many further questions about what Russia might be seeking to guard in the Arctic.”

The documentary delves into the history of marine mammal training, tracing its roots back to military programs. The U.S. Navy ran an early project in California, training dolphins to serve as sentries, alerting forces to potential underwater threats. The Soviet Union followed suit with its own program, using dolphins and later whales to safeguard the Black Sea fleet in Crimea. Blair Irvine, a former dolphin trainer, shared his experience with the film team, explaining how dolphins were taught to use their sensitive hearing to detect intruders.

Dr. Eve Jourdain, a whale expert, observed Hvaldimir’s unusual behavior during its time in Hammerfest, Norway, in 2019. “It was obvious that this particular whale had been conditioned to be putting his nose on anything that looked like a target,” she said, suggesting that Hvaldimir had been trained similarly to the military animals used for security.

Shaw believes that during the Cold War, Russia’s Northern Fleet in the Arctic relied on marine mammals for protection. As Arctic interests grew in the 1980s, whales and dolphins were trained to patrol nuclear submarine bases. However, as temperatures dropped, dolphins became sick, leading trainers to focus on belugas, which were better suited to the cold.

The story of Hvaldimir is a glimpse into a long-standing, secretive military practice. Despite the end of the Soviet Union and reduced funding for such programs, recent sightings of belugas in Russian naval bases suggest that marine mammal training might still be in use today.

Sadly, earlier this year, Hvaldimir was found dead in Risavika Bay, Norway. While police initially investigated claims of foul play, an autopsy revealed that the whale had died from an injury caused by a stick lodged in his mouth.

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