Norway says beluga whale with apparent Russian-made harness swims to Sweden

Whale-watchers in Norway have nicknamed the whale Hvaldimir (Alamy/PA)

A beluga whale which was first spotted in Arctic Norway four years ago with an apparent Russian-made harness and alleged to have come from a Russian military facility, has been seen off Sweden’s coast about 1,250 miles to the south, Norwegian authorities have said.

Olav Lekve of the Norwegian directorate of fisheries said on Tuesday “During the last few weeks, it has moved quickly and swam several hundred kilometres” before reaching waters off Sweden’s west coast,