A professor said a beluga whale found in the Arctic Ocean near Norway's northernmost point could be a Russian spy. Locals said the beluga was very tame and enjoyed being touched. The professor said the whale had a harness for a spy camera that was "most likely" from the Russian Navy. However, images show "Equipment of St. Petersburg" written on the harness in English. A local said: "It could have swum from St. Petersburg, Florida."
There is online speculation about the whale. The US Navy uses dolphins so it could have come from Florida. A Russian naval analyst downplayed links to the Russian military. He said: "Even if there are military programs for using marine animals for navy purposes, they are unlikely to be belugas." Another Russian military official said: "If we were using this animal for spying, do you really think we'd attach a mobile phone number with [a] message?"