A beluga whale that swam south along Norway’s coast since 2019 has been reported dead.

The whale, known as Hvaldimir,  has a celebrity status among fans, NRK documented. 

The nonprofit Marine Mind broke news of the whale’s death. Hvaldimir was found floating in the ocean, Marine Mind researcher Sebastian Strand told the Norwegian outlet NRK. 

The whale, which was found dead over the weekend, gained fame after it was suspected of spying for the Russian government and was found dead over the weekend. 

“Hvaldimir” is a combination of the Norwegian word for Whale and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first name, Reuters reported.

Strand told NRK the cause of the whale’s death is still unknown. Regina Crosby Haug, One whale’s director, noted to the outlet that Hvaldimir had no signs of illness and that the group had been trying to get the whale moved from the area. 

According to the BBC, Hvaldimir was first seen in Norwegian waters five years ago. He was said to be wearing a camera and a harness labeled “Equipment of St Petersburg.”

BBC reported that the Russian military officials never revealed Hvaldimir’s origin or the reason for the pens.

The Barents Observer reported in 2019 that satellite images divulged that the Russian Navy operated a facility for marine mammals. The outlet guessed that Hvaldimir may have escaped from the facility or may have potentially been sent to Norwegian waters on an intelligence-gathering mission.

Hvaldimir was very friendly to people and responsive to hand gestures, according to Marine Mind. Mars was visible on his body from multiple collisions with boats. Still, he proved to be a brutal animal.

CBS News reported that eleven orcas and 90 beluga whales were kept in cramped pens on Russia’s Pacific coast in 2018. Local news reportedly labeled the pens “whale jail,” and activists worried the animals were illegally sold to water parks and aquariums in China.

According to the outlet, after a 1982 global ban on commercial whale hunting, it became illegal to remove whales from the wild beyond scientific and educational pursuits.

Whether or not the whale was sent on an “official assignment” or found its way there all by itself is yet unknown. Also, the reason for its death is yet to be ascertained, bringing rise to many unanswered questions.