Police say a Russian 'spy whale' in Norway wasn't shot to death

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — There's no evidence that a well-known beluga whale that lived off Norway's coast and whose harness ignited speculation it was a Russian spy was shot to death last month as claimed by animal rights groups, Norwegian police said Monday.

The tame beluga, which was first spotted in 2019 not far from Russian waters with a harness reading “Equipment St. Petersburg," was found floating at the Risavika Bay in southern Norway on Aug. 31.

Experts examined the carcass at a nearby harbor, after lifting it with a crane.

Animal advocate groups OneWhale and NOAH last week filed a police report saying that the animal’s wounds suggested it was intentionally killed. OneWhale founder Regina Haug said when she saw the carcass, she “immediately knew he had been killed by gunshots.”

That's not the conclusion so far from veterinarians.

Police said that the Norwegian Veterinary Institute conducted a preliminary autopsy on the animal, which was become known as “Hvaldimir," combining the Norwegian word for whale — hval — and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“There are no findings from the autopsy that indicate that Hvaldimir has been shot," police said in a statement.

Most of the animal's visible wounds were “completely superficial” with one of them “somewhat deeper” but not fatal or affecting vital organs, police said. An x-ray found no projectiles and no indication that the wounds could have been caused by gunshots, the statement said.

However, a stick about 35 centimeters (14 inches) long and 3 centimeters (1 inch) wide was found wedged in the animal's mouth, and its stomach was empty and its organs had broken down, police said. No further details were given.

“There is nothing in the investigations that have been carried out to establish that it is human activity that has directly led to Hvaldimir’s death," said Preede Revheim, head of the North Sea and environment section of the police in South Western Norway.

Revheim said that police will not be actively investigating the case and that the final autopsy report will released later this month.

The two animal rights groups said Monday they're not satisfied with the preliminary results and want the police investigation to continue, offering 50,000 kroner ($4,661) for any tips that could reopen the case.

The 4.2-meter (14-foot) long and 1,225-kilogram (2,700-pound) whale was first spotted by fishermen near the northern island of Ingoeya, not far from the Arctic town of Hammerfest.

Its harness, along with what appeared to be a mount for a small camera, led to media speculation that it was a "spy whale.” Over the years since 2019, it was seen in several Norwegian coastal towns and it became clear it was very tame and enjoyed interacting with people.

Experts say the Russian navy is known to have trained whales for military purposes. Media reports also have speculated that the whale might have been trained as a therapy animal.