Pod of orcas trapped under ice is no longer in danger

(Patria) - A pod of orcas that was trapped under ice in Japan is finally free.

While people around the world were devising ways to save them - some even suggesting the US send icebreakers - the wind picked up, the ice floes shifted, and the large animals managed to swim to safety.

The news was reported by several media outlets and also shared by the organization PETA.

As a reminder, footage broadcast by public television NHK on Tuesday shows at least ten orcas peeking out of a small opening in the water surface about a kilometer off the coast of Rausu on the Shiretoko Peninsula - a place known for its rich wildlife.

The footage deeply affected many who saw it, as the orcas struggled to reach the air.

羅臼沖 シャチおよそ10頭
流氷に囲まれ身動きとれず
救出もできない状況
https://t.co/dJKCzVMUSd #北海道NEWSWEB pic.twitter.com/j45Z9h6X2v

— NHK北海道 (@nhk_hokkaido) February 6, 2024

Local authorities, after discovering what was happening, sent the coast guard to break the ice and try to free the mammals. However, it was too thick, and they couldn't do anything. They had to admit defeat.

- We have no choice - all we can do is wait for the ice to melt and for the whales to leave on their own. We are helpless - a local Rausu official told NHK, as reported by The Guardian.

Seiichiro Tsuchiya, a marine life expert who filmed these unfortunate, trapped animals with a drone, told the television station that he noticed an unusual opening while researching the local sea lion population.

He didn't even consider that the orcas might be in trouble and was surprised when he discovered what was happening.

- I saw about 13 orcas whose heads were sticking out of a hole in the ice. It seemed like they were struggling to breathe. From what I saw, there were also four calves - Tsuchiya said.

Some whales can spend a long time underwater, but these cannot - orcas need air every few minutes.