Beluga whale accused of being a Russian spy
The spy who... was actually a Beluga whale.
When animals commit a crime, where do they go? To the pound.
Luckily for this Beluga whale, his only crime is being somewhat cute.
The daring animal, nicknamed Hvaldimir, was first spotted off Norway's coast in 2019 wearing a Russian harness.
This sparked rumours that the whale was in fact an undercover Russian spy.
Here's how a whale accidentally committed international espionage:
BBC shares: 'The tame beluga whale first approached Norwegian boats near the island of Ingoya four years ago. The island is 415km (258 miles) from Murmansk, where Russia's Northern Fleet is based.'
This shocking discovery led to an investigation by Norway's domestic intelligence agency, which later told the BBC that the whale was likely to have been trained by the Russian army.
Read More: Man and lady passenger have an illegal shower mid-scoot
“He is a little lonely whale who hopes to find other white whales that he can hang out with,” said Sebastian Strand, a marine biologist with Onewhale, a nonprofit organisation created solely for protecting the health and welfare of Hvaldimir.
There are not many Beluga whales in the area. Many (people, not whales) have taken to social media to share their hilarious reactions, as well as concern for the safety of this animal.
Hvaldimir - whale — hval — and the Russian first name Vladimir - is currently chilling around Sweden's coast.
Stay tuned for more. We will bring you the latest at East Coast Radio.
More on East Coast Radio:
Image courtesy of Twitter