A beluga whale, Hvaldimir, which was suspected of spying for Russia back in 2019, was found dead near Norway.

Marine Mind, a non-profit organisation primarily focused on protecting Hvaldimir, posted on social media that it found the whale floating peacefully in Norwegian waters on Sep. 1.

The organisation added that it was not immediately clear what caused the whale's death.

A necropsy will be conducted to determine its somewhat premature passing.

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"Hvaldimir bridged the gap between humans and wild animals in a way that few can. He was special to so many, leaving a lasting mark on all who had the privilege to encounter him.

Rest in peace, Hvaldimir. You will be deeply missed, but never forgotten."

"Russian Spy Whale"

In 2019, Hvaldimir was discovered in Norwegian waters approximately 300km (via seafaring vessel) from the Norwegian/Russian maritime border, according to Marine Mind.

The beluga whale was photographed wearing a webbing harness with what appeared to be a small camera mounted on it.

BBC reported that the harness Hvaldimir was wearing had a buckle that read "Equipment St. Petersburg" in English.

An investigation launched by Norway's domestic intelligence agency told BBC that "the whale is likely to have been part of a Russian research programme".

BBC also noted that Russia has a history of training marine mammals, such as dolphins, for military purposes.

But a retired Russian colonel told Reuters that scientists in Russia's north were "using beluga whales for tasks of civil information gathering, rather than military tasks".

The whale got its name as a cheeky nod to "hval", which is Norwegian for whale, and the Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Top photos via Marine Mind/Instagram