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Marine Experts Say They've Discovered a Whale Likely Working as a Russian Spy

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Fishermen off Norway’s northern coast encountered a beluga whale last week wearing a harness with camera mounts, and experts believe the mammal was likely trained by the Russian military.

Fishermen near the small Norwegian fishing village of Inga reported the beluga harassed their boats.

“We were going to put out nets when we saw a whale swimming between the boats,” fisherman Joar Hesten told Norwegian broadcaster NRK. “It came over to us, and as it approached, we saw that it had some sort of harness on it.”

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The strange behavior of the whale, which was actively seeking out vessels and trying to pull straps and ropes from the side of boats, “raised suspicions among marine experts that the animal had been given military-grade training by neighboring Russia,” according to The Guardian.

The fishermen eventually were able to remove the harness, finding the words “Equipment of St. Petersburg” on it.

Jorgen Ree Wiig — a marine biologist at Norway’s Directorate of Fisheries — told CNN the mounts on the harness were for GoPro cameras.

After the fishermen took off its harness, the whale continued to want to engage and play with them.

Martin Biuw, a marine mammal researcher at Norway’s Institute of Marine Research said, “The fact that it’s a trained animal is undoubtable.”

Biuw added: “It’s quite clear that the whale is searching out the boat, and that it’s used to being around boats. The whale is coming up with its head above the water, opening its mouth, which suggests that it’s expecting to be fed fish as a reward.”

Wiig thinks the whale came from Murmansk, Russia, about 120 miles east of the Norwegian border, and was trained by the Russian navy, CNN reported.

The Russian Northern Fleet is headquartered in the vicinity of Murmansk, according to GlobalSecurity.org.

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Do you think the Russian military trained the whale?

The navy has “been known to train belugas to conduct military operations before,” Wiig said, “like guarding naval bases, helping divers, finding lost equipment.”

Norwegian whale scientist Audun Rikardsen agreed with Wiig’s assessment that the whale likely came from Murmansk.

“There is a lot of secrecy around these military projects, but a Russian researcher I have spoken to says she knows that the Russian defense has such whales in captivity for military training,” Rikardsen told the Aftenposten newspaper, according to USA Today.

“It is most likely that the Russian Navy in Murmansk is involved,” he said.

“Retired Colonel Viktor Baranets, who observed military dolphin training in the Soviet and post-Soviet eras, said the sea mammals were part of the broader Cold War arms race between the USSR and the United States,” USA Today reported.

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Randy DeSoto has written more than 2,000 articles for The Western Journal since he joined the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths" and screenwriter of the political documentary "I Want Your Money."
Randy DeSoto is the senior staff writer for The Western Journal. He wrote and was the assistant producer of the documentary film "I Want Your Money" about the perils of Big Government, comparing the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Randy is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths," which addresses how leaders have appealed to beliefs found in the Declaration of Independence at defining moments in our nation's history. He has been published in several political sites and newspapers.

Randy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in political science and Regent University School of Law with a juris doctorate.
Birthplace
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated dean's list from West Point
Education
United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law
Books Written
We Hold These Truths
Professional Memberships
Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment, Faith




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