This is the tale of Hvaldimir, a beluga whale, and Joar Hesten, a fisherman. When the fisherman and former whaler leapt into the ice-cold Arctic water and untethered Hvaldimir from a harness that had been attached to the whale, their lives were eternally altered.
When this mysterious white creature was spotted in the Arctic waters of Norway, bordering Russia, American activists responded. When Hollywood called, Saudi funds were squandered. The beluga whale became an Instagram celebrity.
After the commotion subsided, both Joar and Hvaldimir returned to their homes in the south. In the summer of 2020, he appeared in the fjord adjacent to Joar’s residence. During the summer and fall of that year, the former whaler cared for the whale and consulted with irritated fish producers about how to best safeguard it.
