A beluga whale, believed to have been trained for surveillance by the Russian military, has been spotted off the coast of Sweden, according to advocates who track the whale.
OneWhale, an organization that advocates for the safety of the whale known as Hvaldimir said that Swedish authorities "immediately" contacted them upon his arrival in its waters and "even closed a bridge to protect him.
"We are impressed by Sweden's show of care for Hvaldimir," the group's founder, Regina Haug, said.
Last week, Hvaldimir was spotted in Norwegian waters, prompting the nation's Directorate of Fisheries to issue a warning.
"We especially encourage people in boats to keep a good distance to avoid the whale being injured or, in the worst case, killed by boat traffic," said Fisheries Director Frank Bakke-Jensen.
OneWhale said it was "extremely concerned" for Hvaldimir's safety after he turned up in Oslo, Norway's capital, as it has observed his movements gaining in speed in recent months.
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