On Saturday afternoon, the celebrity whale, Hvaldimir, was found dead, floating belly up, outside Risavika in Sola. The whale is now being autopsied at the Veterinary Institute in Sandnes. And there are several who have expressed their interest in the whale, even after his death. Sebastian Strand, head of Marine Mind, says there have been requests from several institutions to take over the remains of Hvaldimir. Since Hvaldimir appeared off Finnmark in 2019, the beluga managed to charm the entire Norwegian coast. Several people who want the remains at the Natural History Museum in Oslo want tissue samples from the beluga whale. – We are talking about a small sample that fits in a straw, says specialist curator in the museum, Kjetil Lysne Voje. He says they have not taken any steps to get hold of the entire animal. – But there is a potentially very interesting object with a beluga that is not normally found along the coast in Norway. Voje thinks it is great if someone wants to take care of parts of the animal. But this may become irrelevant. According to Strand in Marine Mind, there are also several museums that want a part of the whale. – There is interest from museums that, among other things, have whale exhibitions, he says. Sebastian Strand in Marine Mind. Photo: Odd Rune Kyllingstad / news Plunge after Hvaldimir Regina Crosby Haug is the leader of One Whale. She wants to have handed over the ashes to Hvaldimir. – We have requested that Hvaldimir be cremated. On Sunday, they plan to have an open memorial service for the late Hvaldimir in Stavanger. – There will be a ceremony where there will be opportunities to dive into the sea in memory of Hvaldimir. Leader of One Whale Regina Crosby Haug will ask the Veterinary Institute to hand over the ashes of Hvaldimir. Photo: One Whale She wants the ashes to be scattered in the sea. – The whole of Norway can celebrate the memory of Hvaldimir, she says. It is common practice to cremate dead animals due to the risk of infection. But according to the Veterinary Institute, it has not been decided what will happen to the whale. Now they must first find out what has happened to the whale. Not sure of cause of death On Monday evening, the autopsy report is not ready, but the autopsy is underway. – We are waiting for the Veterinary Institute to complete and complete its investigations, says Strand in Marine Mind. He says it is far too early to establish what the cause of death may be. The Veterinary Institute tells news that they have no further information. They will have meetings on Tuesday to plan the way forward. Hvaldimir was hoisted ashore in Risavika in Sola. Photo: Ole Elias Huse Strand has not decided whether Marine Mind wants a part of Hvaldimir as a memorial. – For my own part, I do not have strong opinions. I will mourn for a long time over a whale I was incredibly fond of. He hopes that memorials can be set up where Hvaldimir has been a lot. – What happens to the remains becomes more important to many of the others who have been fond of him, Strand believes. The desire to move the whale north The celebrity whale was first discovered by fishermen outside Ingøy in Finnmark in 2019. He was wearing a tight harness and probably came from captivity in Russia. Among other things, he was accused of being a Russian spy, while others thought he was a therapy whale. The discovery received international attention, and at the time many observations were made in Finnmark. The locals gave him the name Hvaldimir. In 2022, he was also nicknamed “Hvaldi”, so as not to be associated with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since his discovery, he has been diligently followed by the Norwegian people on his way south in the pretty country. In May 2023 he was observed in Stavanger, and in November he was to be found in Lysefjorden. The organization One Whale has been working to get Hvaldimir moved north for a long time. They were initially refused to move him to Svalbard, but in July the Directorate of Fisheries approved taking the whale to the Varangerfjord in Finnmark. However, several researchers, including Sebastian Strand, have been critical of the decision. Over 70 professionals have sent a complaint to the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, arguing that the move will be risky for the whale’s welfare. Hvaldimir in 2021. Photo: Inge Wegge Still with good memories Strand has worked closely with Hvaldimir for a number of years. He is in mourning after the death, but is left with good memories. – This was a remarkably intelligent individual who understood people well. He says the beluga was happy to create reactions. – If he did something that made someone laugh, it seemed self-reinforcing to him. For example, blowing water on children or splashing water to make people splash. I will never forget it. Hvaldimir was probably between 15 and 20 years old. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), beluga whales usually live between 30 and 35 years of age. Published 02.09.2024, at 20.56 Updated 02.09.2024, at 21.20
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Hvaldimir died suddenly, now several organizations want the whale’s remains – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
