In 2019, the beluga whale "Hvaldimir" was discovered in the coastal town of Hammerfest in Norway. It was equipped with a harness and it began to be speculated that it was a "spy whale" – trained by Russia. On Sunday, the same election probably appeared in Hunnebostrand on the West Coast. According to Kolmården's head of research Andreas Fahlman, it is not impossible that the whale will help the Russian navy.
"These animals are trained to do different things and it's a lot about the relationship between the animal and the person who trained it. This may involve, for example, guarding a naval base or certain vessels. But a lot of it is about finding different things under the surface," he says.
Famous for dolphins
Kolmården, just outside Norrköping, is mainly known for its dolphins. According to Andreas Fahlman, dolphins and beluga whales differ greatly – but they can be trained to cope with different tasks.
"It's the same type of animal. It is toothed whales that use sonar to communicate in water. They are both mammals, but the beluga whale is much larger than the dolphins. It's much easier to train dolphins in this way because they eat less, require less space and are more active," he says.
In the clip, Andreas Fahlman, head of research and marine biologist, answers three questions about the spy whale "Hvaldimir" and beluga whales.