The sad truth behind the rugby-playing whale

This video of a whale playing fetch with a rugby ball went viral – but it hides a different story. This whale is a highly-trained escapee from a Russian military, and whale expert Dr Isabella Clegg explains how humans could actually be doing him harm by playing with him.

The Observers website
Twitter
Facebook

[richardrussel]

"Beluga whales don't naturally pick things up with there mouths."
Explain this to me. How to they eat food?

[jasonklinedinst]

There’s many videos of wild belugas doing stuff like this so I don’t know why she’s acting like it has to be trained.

[gabrielgray]

Im sorry but they do play in the wild with humans, ive encountered them several times in the saint Lawrence, they are just like dolphins, very curious and very friendly.... sure Hvaldimir is a special case... but don't act like its the end of the world if one happens to be more friendly than others. These are animals with an intelligence very close to our own...gotta remember that.

[orangepeel]

She does not have a degree in Marine Biology

[jessekieboom]

-We see a beluga playing fetch with a ball and some researchers.
- this woman:
It's most likely an escaped beluga from russian military, he has been leaned to play fetch and other stuff, this is unnatural behavior, it's disturbing and would probably die on it's own.

That's a lot of assumption for just a video of 1 minute. Dolphin's are intelligent and playful creatures, it's not unheard of such interactions with dolphins. Hell they even save our lives occasionally.
Okay, the fact he brings something back which is thrown away is a bit unique. But is it impossible? I think not.

[savageinstitute]

Marine Biologist: they would not just pick something up in their mouth and bring it back to the boat

Me: Just got done watching beluga whales picking up people's cell phone and gopro from the ocean and returning it to them

[kiraist]

This is Hvladimir he was a whale raised in captivity and released into the wild. He seeks humans for fish food. No Beluga whale will interact with a human naturally, unless they were taught. Yes, its dangerous for him to approach humans bc not all humans are nice and there are poachers who will cut his fin and sell his parts in the black market.

[orangepeel]

So Ms Not it all then why in the video the Beluga saves a womens cell phone that she

[mssn]

Idc what garbage they’re saying. Belugas is cute and smart!

[ullwy]

Hvaldimir is a combination of hval which means whale and Vladimir which is a Russian name

[jamesc]

MISLEADING headline.
How does she and narrator DEFINITIVELY know that Russians trained it and what exactly for?
So animals never okay with humans in wild?
Orcas & dolphins don’t.

Notice the narrator opens up as if the expert opinion is totally fact. Then later in the story he said the beluga appears to be trained. Bunch of settle techniques from our beloved media in the world today

[flammenjc]

Idk what's so sad about it? It's not unheard of behaviour for a cetacean and he's living a happy life in the wild instead of in captivity...

"Hvaldimir will be unable to survive in the wild" - Proven false. He had to adapt, but that's what animals do, we ADAPT

[kingmufasa]

Tell that to SEAWORLD AND THE OTHERS!!!

[ameerulaqmalmalek]

"we have to keep our distance from animal"
Oh no I'm not.. If I've had a Chance to interact with that beluga.. I'll give them any food they want.. This is one time experience, not gonna waste that

[GinaMazzola]

oh what BS. This is in the antarctic. Its a south african vessel, the Gemini and the ball is a south african rugby ball and they speak with South African accents.

[ericlakota]

That whale is amazing and adorable he can feed him self he is smart enough hope he doesn't get hit by a boat

[Nemesis_T_Type]

It's the Blame the Russians schtick.

[ataariamehr]

In my opinion, holding and pick up the ball with mouth ،is something that might happen in nature and by a free beluga. But going to look the ball that was threw and specially returning it, is something that could be happen only by a trained beluga...

[seanmachine]

I don't see any kind of harness. Russian or otherwise.
maybe they're smart enough to just want to play? it's not like it could pick up the ball and spike it back. because, you know, fingers and thumbs and whatnot.

[jasonfranko]

Have to agree we shouldn’t interfere with animals as much as possible