A pod of at least 10 killer whales appears to be trapped in sea ice off the coast of northern Hokkaido.
Japanese Coast Guard officials said they received a report of a pod of orcas from local fishermen on Tuesday morning. Public broadcaster NHK reported.
Videos shared online show the animals struggling through the ice. Local weather officials said the ice may have gotten the animals stuck in the water after waves froze on the floes, the paper said.
Wildlife Pro LLC, a local wildlife group, shared drone footage of the animals among the ice streams. According to the group, the whale was encountered during an ocean survey.
“We have no choice but to wait for the ice to melt and for them to escape,” a local official told NHK. CNN reported.
Orcas were reportedly trapped in a similar manner in 2005, and most of them died, local officials said. Rescuers are currently unable to access the whales due to ice currents and are hoping they can be saved.
The sea ice in this area is the lowest latitude sea ice in the world, and is present near Hokkaido every year, but it is decreasing due to accelerating global warming, CNN reported.
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