The internet is filled to the brim with adorable animal and mammal videos. You’ll always find something new. If not careful, you could easily spend your entire day doing nothing but watching videos of cats, dogs, birds, bunnies, and more. There are even some videos of wild animals and sea life. Often, those are the ones the internet goes crazy over.
For example, one video involved a Beluga whale. Sure, it was swimming in the ocean like all whales but this one did something unexpected. The best part, it was all captured on video. Now, we can enjoy yet another great video that’s racked up more than 35 million views. But, there’s a warning about posting things like this.
Just an ordinary day on the water…not
The start of this video seems innocent enough. Yes, it’s great because it includes a Beluga whale. But in this case, this amazing creature had something up its sleeve…or fin. What happens next is nothing short of astounding. It swims right up to a boat with several passengers onboard. Someone then pulls out a ball and begins to play fetch with him…and he’s more than happy to oblige.
Maybe it’s a Russian spy
Okay, so that might sound kind of crazy, but there’s a possibility it’s true. You see, in Russia, experts train whales to carry out a broad range of tasks. So, who knows, perhaps this one is an escapee from Russian waters. But more than likely, it’s just a friendly whale that wants to play.
Some people believe this Beluga’s been spotted before
Researchers think the Whale seen in this video is named Hvaldimir. He first showed up off the eastern coast of Norway. He was stamped with the words “equipment of St. Petersburg.” Professor Audun Rikardsen of the Arctic University of Norway said, “We know that in Russia they have had domestic whales in captivity and also that some of these have apparently been released.”
He’s in an unknown environment
Marine biologists worry that Hvaldimir doesn’t eat enough because he’s not used to being in the wild. That would explain why he’s much thinner than other whales of his kind. Some humans do feed him from time to time. But experts warn it’s best to leave this mammal alone if he’s going to survive.
Boat propellers can cause injury to sea life
Belugas, which are curious creatures, can be seriously injured by boat propellers. So, it’s generally best for them to stay away from watercraft and even humans. That means people shouldn’t seek out these mammals or try to feed or entertain them. By doing that, they could put the lives of these creatures at risk.
Hvaldimir is already at risk
Hvaldimir and other mammals like him are currently at risk. Seeing a viral video of this whale playing fetch is super fun to watch but it only encourages others to interact with mammals. When they do, they also capture videos to post online. When that happens, a lot of people follow suit. Long-term, that puts mammals like Hvaldimir in danger.
Experts urge visitors not to play with these mammals
You should never play with wild mammals of any kind. They’re so much safer when you leave them alone and just let them do their own thing in their environment.
But with this video already circulating the internet, you might want to take a peek. After all it is pretty remarable.
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Source: IFL Science, YouTube, Facebook
