This story appears in the June 2020 issue of National Geographic magazine.
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A marine biologist swims with the ‘Russian spy whale’
“I was most struck by his friendliness—and his loneliness,” says Audun Rikardsen.
Friendly and clearly accustomed to humans, this beluga whale showed up off the coast of northern Norway, then made its way to a town’s harbor where its feedings became a show for locals and tourists.
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