Last month, a certain beluga whale has been the subject of headlines when he refused to leave a Norwegian port city.
But more than that, people have been speculating that the white whale holds secrets. That’s because when he was found by a fisherman, he had a harness attached to him with the inscription “Equipment St. Petersburg”. This led many people to believe that the beluga whale was being trained by the Russian Navy to become a spy, but he ‘defected’.
The whale continued to linger nearby ever since he was freed from the harness. Contrary to the species’ usual behavior, this particular beluga has been allowing residents to get near him and pet his nose.
Even though they are known to be social animals – usually gathering in groups – these whales are normally extremely aloof when approached by other animals or humans, and they usually make a quick escape when faced with this situation. However, when they find themselves isolated, they can start to become more trusting.
Just last week, this beluga whale made another notable appearance – this time, to help a traveler in need!
While they were in Hammerfest, Ina Mansika and her friends decided to head down to the waterfront hoping to see the alleged spy whale. But this lucky group got more than what they were hoping for.
Not only did they get to see the whale in all its glory – he even came to the rescue when Ina needed some help!
Ina told The Dodo:
“We laid down on the dock to look at it and hopefully get the chance to pat it. I had forgotten to close my jacket pocket and my phone fell in the ocean. 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!”
The beautiful moment was captured on video. We provided a link that will direct you to the video at the bottom of this article.
The whole group was stunned, they couldn’t believe what just happened!
The beluga whale looked so proud of himself as he swam back up to the surface of the water with Ina’s phone in his mouth. It even looked like he was smiling!
“Everyone was so surprised. We almost didn’t believe what we saw. I was super happy and thankful that I got my phone back,” she said.
Unfortunately, water damage had rendered the phone inoperable when she got it back. Nevertheless, Ina remains appreciative of the friendly beluga’s unexpected gesture, saying that she “loves animals” and that the whale was “so kind”.
There have been serious concerns regarding the beluga whale’s safety, as officials believe that he’s been trained by humans for too long to survive in the wild on his own. But they’re assuring the public that they’re keeping the whale’s best interests at heart. According to the Washington Post, there are plans to relocate the whale to a sanctuary in Ireland to increase his chances of survival.
Watch the actual video footage below:
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