A pod of a dozen killer whales have been left struggling in the ice off the coast of northern Japan as rescuers say they have no way to reach the animals.
Shocking drone footage showed the struggling orcas trying to break free from the chunks of ice that surrounded them around 8.30 am Tuesday off the coast of Rausu in Eastern Hokkaido, NHK reported.
Rescue operations were not possible as the town said they had ‘no choice but to wait for the drift ice to break and for them to escape.’
A local fisherman reported the struggling pod and video was taken by others who were conducting research on sea lions and other animals off the coast.
Wind in the area has been weak since Monday and has led the drift ice to remain stagnant. The ice also might have expanded more due to a ‘wave spray,’ or small water droplets from the ocean’s breaking waves.
A pod of a dozen killer whales were spotted trapped in ice in northern Japan. Drone footage captured the struggling orcas trying to break free of the large ice chunks off the coast of Rausu
The head of one of the orcas is seen poking out of the massive chunks of ice
The person who captured the moment said they believe there were about three to four baby killer whales in the pod and said one looked like ‘he wasn’t feeling well,’ according to NHK.
Video from the scene begins as the pod bops in and out of the water and tries to break free of the ice with large mountaintops behind them in the distance.
The icy water moves around near them but the large chunks surrounding them don’t move as much.
Rausu Town reported a similar incident took place in 2005 when another group of whales were caught in drift ice off the same coast, and most of them did not survive. It’s unclear how many whales died in that incident.
There are more than 100 killer whales that have visited Rausu, Saiyu Travel Co. reported.
Orca families have appeared every year between May and July in the Nemuro Strait, a part of the sea, which is located between Rausu and Kunashiri Island.
The marine mammal, also referred to as ‘king of the sea’ are found in oceans across the world, but they can only be seen in underwater performances at Kamogawa Sea World, the aquarium attraction reported.
A rescue mission failed as the town said they had ‘no choice but to wait for the drift ice to break and for them to escape’
Though orcas are often called killer whales, they are actually part of the dolphin family.
They are the largest member of the dolphin family as a male orca can grow up to 33feet long and way approximately 22,000lbs, according to the Whale & Dolphin Conservation USA.
Females are known to grow to about an average of 27feet and can reportedly live about 80 years longer than a male orca.
They are known as ‘killer’ whales because ancient sailors saw them preying on large whales. They also tend to feast on fish, squid, seals, sea birds and are known to enjoy great white sharks, according to the Natural History Museum.
When orcas hunt, they typically do it as a family, or in pods. They are also known as ‘highly intelligent cetaceans’ that work together to hunt their prey.
A pod of orcas were recently spotted hunting dolphins off the coast of La Jolla in San Diego, California.
Surfers and swimmers witnessed the rare event up close as a pod of orcas were seen hunting and ripping a dolphin apart near the coast.
A surfer is seen witnessing the pod of orcas rip apart a dolphin before the dead mammal sank into the water
Footage from the moment showed a group of surfboarders off the coast of La Jolla in San Diego watching orcas jumping through the water
Footage from the moment shows a group of surfboarders watching orcas jumping through the water.
As they quietly floated on their boards, the orcas were seen emerging near the end of a pier and throwing a dolphin out of water.
The pod then attacked and rips the mammal apart as it sank into the water.
During this time, a man was heard saying: ‘Oh my god, they are literally eating the dolphin.’
A few seconds later, the pod was seen swimming off into deeper waters as a man quickly swam parallel to the killer whales.