Adding to the intrigue surrounding Hvaldimir was the fact that he was incredibly friendly to humans and even exhibited signs of domestication.

“He was completely acclimatised to human culture,” Strand said, potentially owing to the fact that Hvaldimir had “been in captivity for a lot of his life”.

But scientists quickly became concerned by the fact that Hvaldimir was found swimming in waters considered to be too busy for beluga whales.

Strand and his non-profit began working to protect Hvaldimir as the whale continued to live outside its natural habitat, while also trying to educate locals and tourists about his species.

In 2023, Hvaldimir was spotted off the coast of Sweden, which was even further away from natural food sources and instead towards more industrial, and therefore dangerous, harbours.