Video: Minutes After Woman Drops Phone in Ocean, Beluga Whale Brings It Back to Surface
We’ve always known whales and dolphins to be smart creatures. If Shamu taught us anything, it’s that these animals are highly trainable and can at times interact well with humans.
And, apparently, they also make good spies? At least that’s the word over in Norway regarding a beluga whale who reportedly won’t leave their waters.
#ExpressExplained | Over the last few weeks, a beluga whale swimming in the Arctic off Norway has given rise to speculation that it is a spy being used by the Russians. Is this true?https://t.co/agKkMyiHQG
— Express Explained (@ieexplained) May 14, 2019
According to The Washington Post, Norwegian fishermen first encountered the friendly and rather social whale when the creature wouldn’t leave their boats alone.
It was then they discovered a harness that read “Equipment St. Petersburg” was wrapped around the beluga’s body.
Beluga whale and friend of hundreds along the Arctic coast of Norway might be transferred to a “suitable facility” https://t.co/4h8Z3mlZgf
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) May 16, 2019
Now referred to as the “alleged Russian spy,” this whale has caused quite the commotion and has even interacted with other humans since its arrival.
One woman in particular wanted to see the “spy” for herself. But what Ina Mansika never expected was that her new ocean friend would show up with a trick up its blubber.
“We laid down on the dock to look at it and hopefully get the chance to pat it,” Mansika shared with The Dodo, recalling her day in Hammerfest.
“I had forgotten to close my jacket pocket and my phone fell in the ocean,” she went on.
“We assumed it would be gone forever, until the whale dove back down and came back a few moments later with my phone in its mouth!”
Watch as this amazing animal retrieves the lost phone. It seems likely that the whale has been trained.
“Everyone was so surprised. We almost didn’t believe what we saw,” Mansika added in her interview with The Dodo. “I was super happy and thankful that I got my phone back.”
Sadly, the damage had been done and the phone was… well… done for. But the moment still makes for a fun memory and an incredible story!
What will become of this “spy” now, you might ask? It may have a future career in a lost and found service. But it’s more than likely it will be transferred to an Icelandic sanctuary, according to The Washington Post.
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