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Outlook: My mission to save the 'Russian spy whale'

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Norwegian fisherman Joar Hesten leans out of his boat to press his forehead against that of a beluga whale

26/04/2021 GMT

My mission to save the 'Russian spy whale'

BBC World Service - Outlook, My mission to save the 'Russian spy whale'

Fisherman Joar Hesten is trying to help a whale rumoured to have escaped the Russian navy

Norwegian fisherman Joar Hesten freed a beluga whale from a harness, labelled ‘Equipment St Petersburg’ - he's now on a mission to relocate it to an area with other belugas.

Norwegian fisherman Joar Hesten was fishing for cod in the Arctic when he came across a white whale wearing a harness. He freed the mysterious beluga from the straps, and then saw the harness was labelled ‘Equipment St Petersburg’. Theories started swirling that this whale had escaped the Russian military, which has a history of training marine mammals. Now Joar is on a mission to relocate the whale, called Hvaldimir, to an area with other belugas in the hope that it can integrate into a pod and live in the wild.

The quest has cost Joar emotionally and financially. And, as Joar had previously worked as a whaler for a short time, he says his relationship with Hvaldimir has made him question the practice. In 1986 the International Whaling Commission announced a ban on commercial whaling, but Norway continues to hunt up to 500 minke whales a year - citing cultural reasons.

For now, Joar is looking for support so he can keep his promise to help save Hvaldimir.

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Picture: Joar with Hvaldimir
Credit: Aleksander Nordahl, DN/D2

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