"Escaped?" Orca Family Trapped in Ice Floe Suddenly Disappears

Captured struggling trapped in ice the day before
Killer whales are mammals... if they cannot breathe, they die within minutes

A family of orcas trapped and immobilized on Japan's frozen coastline has reportedly suddenly disappeared amid the crisis.

On the 7th (local time), local media outlet 'Hokkaido Bunka Hoso' reported, "About 10 orcas trapped in sea ice have suddenly vanished." The orca family had been spotted by several Japanese media outlets the previous day.

The cameraman who filmed the footage said, "There is still dense sea ice in the ocean," but "the orcas cannot be seen." The actual footage shows the sea frozen solid, but no orcas are visible. The media added that the orcas disappeared after late afternoon on the 6th.

The Rausu coast is still frozen, but the orcas have disappeared.
[Image source=Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting YouTube]

The previous day, local media such as Japan's NHK and Asahi TV reported that a pod of orcas was trapped in sea ice along the Rausu coast on the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido. Around 15 orcas were trapped in gaps in the sea ice, barely keeping their heads above the broken ice to breathe.

Some orcas occasionally moved their bodies up and down or attempted to escape by sinking underwater and then leaping out. The orcas' struggles evoked sympathy not only in Japan but also among netizens in Korea.

Orcas are marine mammals that live in the ocean. They breathe air through their noses, and their diving time is generally only a few minutes. Among the orcas trapped in the sea ice at that time were calves that still needed protection.

Orca family trapped in sea ice [Image source=NHK YouTube]

The pod of orcas was first discovered around 8 a.m. that day by a nearby fisherman. After receiving a report, the Japan Coast Guard dispatched a rescue attempt but ultimately failed. Thick ice surrounded the sea ice trapping the whales, preventing ships from approaching. The Coast Guard stated, "We are reviewing countermeasures, but we may have no choice but to wait until the ice breaks so the orcas can swim out on their own."

Meanwhile, the Rausu coast annually receives large amounts of drifting sea ice from Siberia, Russia. This sometimes traps marine life, including orcas. In 2005, 12 orcas were trapped in sea ice; some were rescued, but several died.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.