Fishermen find whale ‘trained by Russians’

A beluga whale has been found wearing a tight harness in Norway, prompting speculation the animal may have escaped from a Russian military facility.

The Norwegian directorate of fisheries said the words “Equipment St Petersburg” were written on the harness strap, which features a mount for an action camera.

Spokesman Joergen Ree Wiig said fishermen in Arctic Norway reported the tame white cetacean with a tight harness swimming around.

A fisherman later jumped into the frigid water to remove the harness.

Norway’s Aftenposten newspaper reported that the Russian military is believed to have trained sea mammals.

Audun Rikardsen, a professor at the department of Arctic and marine biology at the Arctic University of Norway in Tromsoe, said he believes “it is most likely that Russian navy in Murmansk” is involved.

PICTURES: JOERGEN REE WIIG/AP Norwegian fishermen with the tame beluga whale discovered with what is thought to be a Russian navy harness, which one of them removed after jumping into the icy Arctic water