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A COMMUNITY IN Quebec’s Far North is calling for outside help to free about a dozen killer whales trapped under a vast stretch of sea ice.
Locals in Inukjuak said the mammals have gathered around a single hole in the ice — slightly bigger than a pickup truck — in a desperate bid to get oxygen.
Mayor Peter Inukpuk urged the Canadian government Wednesday to send an icebreaker as soon as possible to crack open the ice and help them find open water. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans said it is sending officials to assess the situation.
Spokesman Frank Stanek said in a statement:
Fisheries and Oceans Canada is assessing the situation and are exploring every possible option, but will only be in a position to determine what — if anything — can be done once our specialists arrive on site.
Trapped
A hunter first spotted the pod of about a dozen trapped whales yesterday at the hole, which is on the eastern shore of the Hudson Bay. Inukjuak is about 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) north of Montreal.
Dozens of villagers made the one-hour snowmobile ride yesterday to see the unusual spectacle. They snapped photos and shot video footage of the killer whales surfacing in the opening — and even thrusting themselves skyward while gasping for air.
One woman who made the journey to the gap in the ice said even a curious polar bear approached the hole amid the commotion. Siasie Kasudluak said the bear was shot by a local hunter for its meat.
The trapped orcas appeared to be in distress, but locals were ill-equipped to help out.
Kasudluak said the hole appeared to be shrinking in the freezing temperatures. Inukpuk believes the sudden drop in temperature recently caught the orcas off guard, leaving them boxed in under the ice.
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Saw a movie about something similar like this a few years back, where they dug airholes in the ice for miles all the way to the sea. As evil as humans are, there’s always a handful of good people who are willing to go out of their way to help other mammals.
I think that’s this film Seán – I haven’t seen it though:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Miracle
Have to say the part about the polar bear is really sad.
Hope the whales pull through.
Aoife
I saw that film on a plane earlier this year. I was so tired and jet lagged after a few flights that I balled my eyes out at the end!
Same thing occured to me: “Save these whales…but kill the bears”
I’m sure the local seal population won’t be too happy if they do that.
The film was on sky 2 weeks ago, baby died…
Hope green peace and the national guard jump to their rescue….
Seen it too sean, cant think of the name.. Great film! and also based on a true story i think
Big miracle is the film it’s on sky movies now…
Aoife looks like the killer whales are free, if my twitter news feed is correct.
The whales are free.
The polar bear is $10 per lb.
Locals have right to kill the bears. They have always done it to survive the harsh conditions. Nothing wrong with that imo. Its the mass slaughter for money or sport of wild animals that is a problem.
That’s the one Aoife :)
And yes – I hear they have been freed! Really happy for the lads. Orcas are extremely intelligent.
Jaass,that was quick!
Very strange creatures humans – calling to save the orcas but at the same time killing an endangered species without a second thought.
Second thought may have been, what if polar bear eats one of the locals looking at the whales
The polar bear populations are growing not shrinking
Not according to the scientists who study the bears:
http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/news-room/news/polar-bear-status-decline
There is a belief that as the bears become hungrier they gravitate towards human settlements to seek food, giving the superficial and incorrect impression that populations are on the increase.
Why did they shoot the poor curious polar bear, sure they might as well tuck into some orca while they are at it!
What a load of shit, why did they kill the Polar bear!
“They”didn’t. It was a hunter.
How picky of you Ben. However – as it was it not revealed what sex the hunter was, I feel ‘they’ was appropriate.
This might affect their chances in the 6 nations.
Local Seal population said to be delighted by the news.
The Japanese are motoring towards them with an icebreaker and harpoons… Sushi for dinner
Free Willy!!!
Sorry!
Someone had to say it!
:)
Please encourage the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to intervene and free the Orcas. Email below. Thank you.
info@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Dolphin friendly tuna nets.
what about the tuna????
Tuna are not clever and are not mammals. Dolphins are.
To follow your logic….kill everything stupid?
Careful now!
How do you know they’re not clever ? I’d say they are.
sorry John the logic is, who decides which animals deserve to die?
some people say dolphins are ok because they are mammals, some peple think killer whales are ok and they should be saved to slaughter the seal population.
it seems to me that humans shouldn’t rate the worthiness of any animals life and we should stay out of it completely and let nature decide.
They most likely will ken.
Looks like the killer whales are free, mother nature played her part well…
Yep, in open waters.
Great news for the whales, pity about the polar bear though.. just a question about shooting the bear, for all you hunters out there: is it possible that the bear might have been female, and maybe had cubs somewhere waiting for her to return?
According to Paul Watson from Sea Shepard the wind changed direction and the whales managed to break free
Yeah but Paul Watson is a cock
Global warming? Anyone?
Get with the program John, those kind of questions are forbidden !!
Poor polar bear, hope it did not have cubs waiting for its return. Did Wales get free do we know?
An orca killed Richard Harris in a movie once, admittedly the beast was provoked but he was an evil bastard. Also they kill seals and do all sorts of nasty stuff plus, have you seen the fkn teeth on em???? Bad news, the lot of them.
The film was Big Miracle & was a true story… So glad they are free but how sad ffor the polar bear :(
so the poor,trapped, but horrible killer whales killed a endangered, maybe mamma polar bear. Whose side do you take now?
this is an excerpt from the original article I saw yesterday:
*getting smaller and smaller. Their whole body jumps up for air.” Apparently, the orcas managed to kill a polar bear that had wandered too close to their breathing hole.*
have your say