Beluga whale trained to spy for Russia?

A beluga whale wearing a harness approached fishing-boats off the Norwegian coast last month. It allowed itself to be stroked: Clearly, the visitor was used to people. A fisherman entered the water and removed the contraption, which carried a label with the inscription ‘Equipment of St Petersburg’.

The animal, it’s believed, had been recruited by the Russian navy and trained to carry cameras, or worse, in covert undersea operations. Having deserted, it was seeking political asylum in Norwegian waters.