Norwegian police release preliminary autopsy report on spy whale

Recently, the discovery of the death of a beluga whale near the coast of Norway that was suspected by Norway to be a “Russian spy” because it had a camera labeled “St. Petersburg” strapped to its body has drawn widespread attention. Previously, two animal protection organizations in Norway had provided media with photos proving that there were “gunshot wounds” on the beluga whale's body and said it was suspected of being shot. However, the preliminary autopsy report released by the Norwegian police on September 9 broke this speculation.

The police said that investigators had conducted X-ray examinations on the whale's wounds. There was no sign that the surface wounds on the body were caused by gunshots, and no bullets were found in its body. The wounds shown in the photos are only superficial wounds. One wound is a bit deeper, but it did not damage important organs and is not fatal. In addition, investigators also found a 35-centimeter-long and about 3 centimeters thick wooden stick in the beluga whale's mouth. Its stomach is empty and most of its organs have failed. The Norwegian police claimed that through the investigations that have been conducted, there is no evidence that human activities directly caused the death of the beluga whale.

This beluga whale was first discovered off Norway's Arctic coast in 2019. At that time, it was wearing a harness that could hold a small sports camera, triggering various speculations. Now the cause of its death remains a mystery. The preliminary autopsy report did not speculate on the exact cause of death of the beluga whale. The final report will be released within two weeks. This incident has not only attracted the attention of animal protection organizations but also triggered international thinking about the living conditions of beluga whales and the protection of marine life.