A pod of killer whales that had been trapped in drift ice off Japan's northern main island of Hokkaido has reportedly escaped, according to officials on Wednesday. The sighting of these killer whales, also known as orcas, initially raised concerns among environmental groups who feared for the safety of the marine mammals.
The incident came to light when a local fisherman spotted the pod and reported it to officials in the nearby town of Rausu on Tuesday morning. Concerned about the welfare of the whales, town officials traveled to the coast later that day and witnessed around a dozen of them struggling in a small opening surrounded by drift ice, approximately half a mile offshore. Drone footage analyzed by a conservationist group confirmed the presence of 13 killer whales in the area.
