Pod of around 13 orcas trapped in ice appears to be free
Loosening ice floes likely helped the whales.
A pod of about 13 orcas trapped by sea ice in Japan appears to have found safety.
Initially spotted via drone footage on Tuesday, a little over half a mile from Rausu, a coastal town in northern Japan, experts said there was no way to rescue the stranded animals because the surrounding ice was too thick.
But a 90-minute search by officials Wednesday morning showed no signs of the pod, which included at least four calves, suggesting they had moved on to safer waters.
"As the gap in the drift ice started to open, it's likely they escaped," a Rausu official told Japan's Kyoto News, adding they could no longer spot the orcas from the shore with binoculars.
A Rausu official told NHK News the whales may have broken free because the ice floes have loosened, but the area is still packed with hazardous debris.
The official noted that another pod of about 17 whales was also found trapped in ice about a kilometre from the original sighting.
The whales were spotted Tuesday while members of the local wildlife organization Wildlife Pro conducted research in the area. A fisherman had discovered the footage and notified the organization, who called officials for help.
