The little town of Hammerfest, Norway, has become the top destination for what watchers thanks to one of the world's friendliest beluga whales. Near the end of April of 2019, a downright adorable beluga whale was found swimming around the waters of the town, but many felt that this beluga whale held a secret.
He was found with a harness and camera attachment around him, and people immediately began to speculate. Was this beluga a spy? Where was it sent from? While those questions remain unanswered, we have learned that it might be the friendliest whale in the world.
Why Was It Wearing A Harness?
Our friendly beluga whale first made news when it was found swimming off the coast of Norway. Unfortunately, this beluga was found with a harness wrapped tightly around its head and its pectoral fins. There also appeared to be a GoPro attachment but there was no camera found.
This was obviously very suspicious, and because it had 'Equipment St Petersburg' written on the strap, it led to speculation that the beluga came from Russia and had been trained to be a spy.
The Spy Life Didn't Suit Him
While the Hammerfest residents couldn't confirm what our beluga buddy was doing out in the ocean, once it was free from its harness, the whale decided it liked them enough to stick around for a bit.
The whale quickly became a viral sensation because it was so darn friendly. People were flocking to the area to see what all the fuss was about. A few whale watchers went to look for the beluga and it made its second viral video over the course of a week.
Everyone Wanted To Take A Peek At This Alleged Spy
The news of the whale gave residents of Hammerfest a reason to go down to the water to look for the beluga. One of those people was Ina Mansika, who went down to the waterfront to get a better look at the whale with some of her friends.
While she was there, she and her friends laid out on the dock to try and get a better look, and even get the opportunity to reach out and touch the whale. When she did, her phone slipped out of her pocket and into the water.
Luckily, This Whale Loves To Play Fetch
Like most people, Ina assumed that her phone was lost to the ocean depths, but that's when our beluga buddy sprung into action. It was apparent from the start that this whale was very mild-mannered, and had even shown that it loves to play fetch and play with the fish nearby.
So when Ina's phone slipped into the water, the beluga chased after it and brought it back to Ina and her friends who looked on in disbelief.
It Was An Amazing Gesture
Unfortunately, the phone had been in the water a bit too long and didn't work, but that's not the point. Ina was still appreciative of the beluga's kind gesture, and we were lucky enough to see it spring into action.
As far as the whale goes, there is still plenty we don't know. The beluga may be too accustomed to humans, making a return to the wild very difficult. Luckily, there has been some consideration into relocating the whale to a sanctuary in Iceland so he can retire with other whales.
