China Warns of a Hidden Underwater Spy Network Using Animals and Advanced Gear

China’s Ministry of State Security has issued a striking warning on domestic social media, saying a “secret and invisible war” is now taking place in the country’s coastal waters. Beijing says foreign intelligence services are deploying unusual tools to gather sensitive information on China, including creating underwater maps of the seabed to prepare future operations.

The warning says the suspected methods include advanced tracking buoys and solar wave drones that monitor submarine movements and port activity. But Chinese officials say the most alarming part is that foreign powers are also recruiting marine animals for intelligence work. According to the ministry, sea turtles and large fish have been found carrying sophisticated sensors designed to collect strategic data on water temperature, currents and salinity, then transmit it in real time to overseas satellites.

In response, authorities are offering large rewards to civilians, fishermen and boat owners who help capture spy equipment or the allegedly recruited animals. The payout can reach 500,000 yuan, about 215,000 shekels, for anyone who turns over the “slippery spies” to the state.

The article also notes that such claims are not new. It cites the famous case of the beluga whale nicknamed Hvaldimir, found near Norway in 2019 with a harness for an action camera and a Russian tag, which led to suspicions it had been trained by the Russian military. The whale was later found dead in 2024, and animal rights groups said it had been shot. It also reviews earlier allegations involving Israel, including claims about spy cows, “super rats,” an eagle detained in Saudi Arabia with a Tel Aviv University tracking device, a shark conspiracy in Sharm el-Sheikh, a Turkish bee-eater thought to carry a microchip, and a pigeon seized in Egypt with a note and microfilm.