Killer whale pod trapped by sea ice in Japan has seemingly escaped, local official says
ABC News
A pod of killer whales, which appeared to be trapped in drift ice off the coast of Japan, has seemingly escaped, a local official told ABC News.
A pod of orcas that appeared to be trapped by drift sea ice off Japan's main northern island of Hokkaido has seemingly escaped the icy enclosure, according to a local official.
Officials from the town of Rausu conducted a land-based search for the whales for about two hours on Wednesday, but the 10-plus orcas were nowhere to be found, Ryoji Onuma told ABC News.
"It seems they've escaped, but we can't be certain," said Onuma, who's leading the response for Rausu. Their team got within a kilometer of the last known spot of the orcas, Onuma said, while press helicopters buzzed above and locals piloted drones, capturing the scene.
Onuma confirmed to ABC News that with the ice melting away and the situation looking up, there's no need for further rescue efforts. "It's a wrap for us," Onuma said.
"Although we can't confirm for sure, I'm confident these whales have found their way out, made their way free from the ice. We certainly hope they have," Onuma added.
