Over 10 Killer Whales Trapped Amid Drift Ice Off Coast of Hokkaido’s Shiretoko Peninsula
18:04 JST, February 6, 2024
Local fishermen discovered a pod of killer whales trapped amid drift ice about one kilometer off the coast of Rausu, Hokkaido, at around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday and alerted the municipal government. Rausu is in the southern part of the Shiretoko Peninsula, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site.
Wildlife Pro LLC, which researches Shiretoko’s sea lions and other wildlife, took drone photos of the pod. It appeared to have 16 to 17 orcas, including several young ones. The orcas were crowded together in a small area of open water between the drift ice, repeatedly sticking out their heads to breathe. By around noon, however, they were completely out of sight.
The drift ice appeared in Shari on the northern side of the Shiretoko Peninsula on Monday, according to the municipal government. The ice continued to move southward, reaching the coast of Rausu by Tuesday morning.
In 2005, nine killer whales became trapped in drift ice off the coast of Rausu and later died.
"Society" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
JICA Employee Suspected of Leaking Info on ODA Project in Manila; Bidding for Railway Renovation May Have Been Impacted
-
Typhoon Kong-rey to Reach South of Japan’s Okinawa on Thursday; JWA Urges High Alert for Strong Winds, Heavy Rain
-
Typhoon Trami Forms East of Philippines, Moving Westward
-
Typhoon Kong-rey Expected to Turn into Tropical Storm after Possible Pass Over Taiwan
-
Sapporo Sees Season’s 1st Snowfall; Snow Comes 8 Days Earlier Than Average
JN ACCESS RANKING
- JICA Employee Suspected of Leaking Info on ODA Project in Manila; Bidding for Railway Renovation May Have Been Impacted
- G20 Sees Soft Landing for Global Economy; Leaders Pledge to Resist Protectionism as Trump Calls for Imported Goods Flat Tariff
- Japanese Automakers Team Up on Software Development; Aim to Compete with U.S., China in SDV Market
- China Struggles to Develop Passenger Jet to Rival Boeing, Airbus; Russian Cooperation Falls
- 2024 POLLS: Ruling Camp Likely to Win Lower House Majority