News of the friendly white whale spread quickly.
In early May, a video of the beluga went viral, eventually earning a spot on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” In it, several young women stand on a dock in Hammerfest, speaking excitedly with their hands outstretched just above the water.
“Oh, my God!” one woman exclaims as the whale returns a smartphone her friend dropped in the sea.
The women cheer and caress the whale, whose mouth continues to hang open.
Later viral videos would show him stealing (and returning) a kayaker’s GoPro and playing fetch with a rugby ball.
Persons:
Ellen DeGeneres
Locations:
Hammerfest