An alleged Russian spy appears to have defected to Norway and officials there don’t know how to handle with the situation — because the accused spy is also a whale.
The beluga whale in question was first spotted last week by Norwegian fishermen who noticed it was acting strangely, apparently seeking human contact and persistently harassing their boats. Upon closer inspection, the fishermen realized that the whale was wearing a harness that read “Equipment St. Petersburg.”
This beluga whale may look innocent, but Norwegian officials believe they’ve just unmasked a Russian spy. pic.twitter.com/4rxM6HADSL
— SBS News (@SBSNews) April 29, 2019
The harness was handed over to the Norwegian Police Security Service, although details of the investigation into the whale have yet to be made public. Some researchers say that the harness could be used to carry things like cameras or weapons, according to the Washington Post.
The Russian navy is believed to be carrying on a sea mammal special operations program, although the Russian Defense Ministry has denied those claims. The U.S. already uses sea mammals like dolphins, sea lions, and beluga whales for mine detection and clearance and intelligence gathering, although the government claims the animals are not used for offensive purposes.
For now, Norwegian authorities are still trying to determine what to do with the whale, which has only moved about 25 nautical miles over the past few days and appears to relish the attention of humans, approaching boats and allowing them to pet its nose.
Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries official Jorgen Ree Wiig told the Post that one of the options being considered is to transfer the whale to a sanctuary in Iceland, which may increase the odds of the animal’s long-term survival.
