In glorious sunshine, Dag Arild Bakken was out with his boat on Thursday. It was quiet and peaceful, until a boy on a paddle board screamed. – We didn’t understand anything. He paddled for his life. I am sure that the paddle board was in plan, says Bakken. As the boy approached the boats, they also saw the large white figure in the water. At first they thought it was a dolphin, but when it got closer they saw that it was the beluga Hvaldimir. – He fascinated everyone. It was a lot of fun, says Bakken. Visiting for several hours It was Østlands-Posten that first mentioned the case. For almost three hours, Hvaldimir enjoyed himself in Paradisbukta, says Bakken. He swam back and forth, appeared with his head and was contact-seeking. – He ran away with a tow rope from one boat to another. Twist the rope into the outboard of another boat. Proper handwork. When the boat owner tried to take it out, the beluga came up with its head so that the man tickled it on the forehead, according to Bakken. – He was nothing dangerous, but no one dared to swim, so to speak. The white whale Hvaldimir played around in Helgeroa on Thursday. Photo: Dag Arild Bakken Rapid movement It was in April 2019 that the beluga whale Hvaldimir was first spotted in Finnmark. For a long time he has stayed in the area around Ålesund and Molde, but last week he was seen in Stavanger and Kristiansand. Marine biologist Sebastian Strand has followed Hvaldimir for almost two years. He says that they scratch their heads a lot over the quick transfer. Sebastian Strand is a marine biologist in charge of Team Hvaldimir in One Whale. Photo: Pål Tegnander / news In two months he has moved further than he has done in the previous two years. – Unfortunately, we are quite critical of him being here. We fear for his survivability. There is little food and the water is at the wrong temperature for that species, says Strand. Want him north again In addition, he is dangerously close to large cities with several boats. – My heart always sinks in my throat if I see several boats circling around him, because then a whale can quickly make an unfortunate maneuver and hit a propeller. In the short term, the organization One Whale wants to get Hvaldimir led north again, to a safer and more natural habitat for him. A life for Hvaldimir inside the largest city fjords is going to be quite short, Strand believes. The beluga whale is around 13–14 years old, and a beluga whale can live for over 50 years. – The hope is that Hvaldimir can be a national treasure for Norway for many, many years to come. He looks like a sweet and kind marshmallow, and he is. But it is a large and powerful animal at just over four meters and 1300-1400 kilograms. Call for people Strand now suspects that the beluga will appear in Sandefjord, if he is not already there. Strand thinks Hvaldimir is looking for people because that’s what he knows. – If you are within 50-100 meters and he wants to come and say hello, he usually does, says Strand. – He is almost as tame as a house dog. If Hvaldimir swims away or lies completely still, he may need time to find food or sleep. – Feel free to enjoy a good moment with him if he comes by. But if he is evasive, please give him some breathing room, urges the marine biologist.
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The white whale Hvaldimir visits Helgeroa – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
