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Harnessed whale found off Norway may have been trained by Russian navy

Updated / Tuesday, 30 Apr 2019 13:35
Inside the harness, which was removed from the whale, were the words, 'Equipment of St Petersburg'
Inside the harness, which was removed from the whale, were the words, 'Equipment of St Petersburg'

Marine experts believe that a Beluga whale found off the coast of Norway, wearing a harness reading "Equipment of St Petersburg", may have been trained by the Russian navy to be used for special operations.

In waters off Norway's northern Finnmark coast, fishermen reported last week that the white Beluga whale had repeatedly approached their fishing boats.

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The fishermen tried to free the whale from the harness, but it was not until fisherman Joar Hesten got into his survival suit and jumped into the water that he was able to release the harness. 

The unusual behaviour of the whale, which was reportedly seeking out the vessels and trying to pull straps and ropes from the sides of the boats, as well as the fact it was wearing a tight harness, raised suspicions among marine experts that the animal had been given military-grade training by neighbouring Russia.

Beluga whale, Russian harness

Inside the harness, which was removed from the whale, were the words, "Equipment of St Petersburg".

Mr Hesten said the whale was very tame and seemed used to human beings.

"There were clips (on the harness) like these, that were on the whale. We tried to reach those clips and open them," said Joergen Ree Wiig, an inspector with the Norwegian Fisheries Directorate.

"My colleague and I tried to do this for quite some time, but we couldn’t do it. Once we touched the clips the whale reacted and took off.

"Then (after I got in) he came up along the side of me, and I could reach for (the) forward clip and opened it. Then there were a round of cheers in the light boat when we got the first [clip off]," he added.

"The other harness (was) further down on the side so it was difficult to reach. So we attached a hook and fastened it to the harness, and the whale swam away and tore the harness off. Then there were more cheers, because now it was free," added Mr Hesten.

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