The orcas that were seen trapped by sea ice off the coast of northern Japan on Tuesday have reportedly managed to escape, according to local officials. Drone footage released by Wildlife Pro showed the pod of killer whales struggling with the frozen waters off Hokkaido, Japan.
Local officials stated that the coast guard had been unable to rescue the whales on Tuesday due to the thick surrounding ice, but by Wednesday morning, they were no longer visible in the spot. An official in the town of Rausu mentioned that as the gap in the drift ice started to open, it’s likely that the orcas escaped, and they could no longer be spotted with binoculars from the shore.
Rausu, situated on Hokkaido’s Shiretoko Peninsula, is designated a World Natural Heritage Site by the United Nations. It’s worth noting that about 10 orcas died in 2005 after getting stuck in drift ice in the same area, according to reports.
