Many Challenges, Few Options For Trapped Killer Whales, Expert Says
Quote:
Prospects appear slim for a pod of killer whales trapped under a thick blanket of sea ice in northern Quebec, according to one marine life expert.
Stunning video emerged Wednesday showing as many as a dozen whales taking turns breathing in a small patch of open water in Hudson Bay, about 30 kilometres from the village of Inukjuak and many kilometres from open water.
Villagers had requested that the Canadian Coast Guard send an icebreaker to the area to clear a channel to open water, but were told that's not an option because there are none in the area.
"Even with an icebreaker that process would take a lot of time and of course it’s very stressful for the animals -- the noise, they're terrified, it is a bad situation," said David Kirby, a journalist and marine life expert who has written extensively about orcas.
|
Quote:
|
"The bay did not freeze over early this year, it was open water as recently as Christmas. The whales got in and then there was a cold snap, the ice came in and the whales got trapped, so this is an anomaly and a terrible tragedy and unfortunately I'm not sure they're going to be able to make it," he told CTV's Canada AM.
|
Quote:
|
"One suggestion is to drill a series of holes and try to walk them out to open water but right now the bay is so frozen over...even with an ice breaker that process would take a lot of time," he said.
|
There is a video and pictures, if you want to see them, attached to the article. (There is also a video in the Funny and Cool Pictures/Video thread.)
I hope something can be done, I personally find the situation very sad.