Killer whales trapped by ice near Inukjuak,
in northern Quebec
January 8, 2013 - A pod of more than a dozen orcas appear to be trapped by ice near Inukjuak, Quebec. The photos below had been posted at Facebook, urging people to contact Canada's Fisheries and Oceans Department to get help for the killer whales.
CTV NEWS Canada reported:
A number of killer whales are trapped in the ice near a northern Quebec fishing village, using only a small patch of open water to breathe, say locals in the isolated community.
In a video posted to Facebook by Clement Rousseau (see next video), a local teacher, a number of the whales can be seen taking turns breaching in the small patch of open water: some torpedo straight up, several metres out of the water, while others surface porpoise-style to catch a breath.
Simeonie Nalukturuk, public safety officer for the nearby village of Inukjuak, confirmed no less than 11 whales are trapped.
"It looks quite beautiful, but we're not sure exactly what to do right now because where they are is very rough; the ice condition is dangerous," Nalukturuk told CTVNews.ca by phone.
The video was recorded on Tuesday, but the whales were still there on Wednesday morning, he said.
Nalukturuk said the whales shouldn't even be in the area this time of year. "We've only seen those kind of whales in the summer time, never in the winter time."
One eyewitness called into the local radio station Wednesday morning to describe the scene.
Village officials contacted the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for assistance, but no definite course of action has been determined.
Inukjuak is located about 1,600 kilometres north of Montreal, located on Hudson Bay’s east coast.
CTV NEWS Canada reported:
A number of killer whales are trapped in the ice near a northern Quebec fishing village, using only a small patch of open water to breathe, say locals in the isolated community.
In a video posted to Facebook by Clement Rousseau (see next video), a local teacher, a number of the whales can be seen taking turns breaching in the small patch of open water: some torpedo straight up, several metres out of the water, while others surface porpoise-style to catch a breath.
Simeonie Nalukturuk, public safety officer for the nearby village of Inukjuak, confirmed no less than 11 whales are trapped.
"It looks quite beautiful, but we're not sure exactly what to do right now because where they are is very rough; the ice condition is dangerous," Nalukturuk told CTVNews.ca by phone.
The video was recorded on Tuesday, but the whales were still there on Wednesday morning, he said.
Nalukturuk said the whales shouldn't even be in the area this time of year. "We've only seen those kind of whales in the summer time, never in the winter time."
One eyewitness called into the local radio station Wednesday morning to describe the scene.
Village officials contacted the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for assistance, but no definite course of action has been determined.
Inukjuak is located about 1,600 kilometres north of Montreal, located on Hudson Bay’s east coast.
January 9, 2013 - CBC Canada reported:
A dozen killer whales appear to be trapped about 30 kilometres off the coast of Inukjuak, Que., and the federal government is expected to send a team of experts to help save them.
Twelve orcas have been spotted in a small patch of open water, at the eastern top of Hudson Bay.
Peter Inukpuk, mayor of the small Inuit village, called on the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to send out an icebreaker to help the whales.
He said the water froze later than usual this year, and it could be why the whales appear to be in trouble.
Martha Asudluak, 21, hitched a ride on a snowmobile Wednesday morning to go out to see them.
"I saw the big head popping out of the waters ... I couldn't believe what I was seeing," she said.
Asudluak says she feels blessed to have been able to see the whales, but she also wants them to be freed as soon as possible.
A spokesperson for the federal department said it's not unusual for marine mammals to become trapped in ice.
The department is sending a team of experts, who are expected to arrive in Inukjuak on Thursday.
A dozen killer whales appear to be trapped about 30 kilometres off the coast of Inukjuak, Que., and the federal government is expected to send a team of experts to help save them.
Twelve orcas have been spotted in a small patch of open water, at the eastern top of Hudson Bay.
Peter Inukpuk, mayor of the small Inuit village, called on the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to send out an icebreaker to help the whales.
He said the water froze later than usual this year, and it could be why the whales appear to be in trouble.
Martha Asudluak, 21, hitched a ride on a snowmobile Wednesday morning to go out to see them.
"I saw the big head popping out of the waters ... I couldn't believe what I was seeing," she said.
Asudluak says she feels blessed to have been able to see the whales, but she also wants them to be freed as soon as possible.
A spokesperson for the federal department said it's not unusual for marine mammals to become trapped in ice.
The department is sending a team of experts, who are expected to arrive in Inukjuak on Thursday.
UPDATE
By Elizabeth Batt
Quebec - The race is on to rescue between eight to 17 orcas filmed trapped in ice near Inukjuak, northern Quebec. Activists are now urging Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), to step in and help the whales.
Video of the orcas who are spyhopping and appear stressed was originally sent to CTV by Lisa Di Ciero. Clement Rousseau then uploaded the video to his Facebook page, in the hopes of getting the killer whales some help.
Rousseau said he posted Di Ciero's film, "hoping that the right person will see this video, a person that can help us to bring them back to the open water ..."
Now the activist community is putting pressure on Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), to step in and seek a solution. Reminiscent of the 1988 grey whale rescue in Point Barrow, Alaska, that was featured in the film Big Miracle, activists are using social media to urge Canada to take action.
News of the trapped whales reached CTV Montreal who said "Residents of Inukjuaq are concerned that there is not enough open water for the whales to swim out." How many orcas are trapped remains unknown, but estimates put the number somewhere between eight to 17 mammals.
According to CBC News, DPO officials haven't decided yet what to do about the orcas. Johnny P. Williams of Inukjuak told the station he visited the whales, and they seem desperate for air.
"It is difficult to go near the ice since the waves from the whales are making it impossible," he said in Inuktitut. "The breathing hole is getting smaller and smaller. Their whole body jumps up for air."
An airplane was dispatched to determine how far the whales were from open water. Williams reported, "the open ice is too far away for the whales to go on their own and only an icebreaker could help them out."
In 2005, six killer whales trapped by thick ice in Russian waters died exhausted and wounded after an attempt to break free. Strong winds blew in ice floes which trapped the whales in shallow waters in the Sea of Okhotsk. It is unclear how the current pod of whales became trapped.
Erin Cunliffe said that she has already called emergency fisheries of Canada and they have the information on the orcas. "All he could tell me," Cunliffe said, "was that they are doing something about it."
Activists are urging people to call DFO's emergency number to request they intercede on behalf of the orcas. They can be reached at (877)-722-5346.
Inukjuak is a northern village located on Hudson Bay at the mouth of the Innuksuak River in Nunavik. It is in the Nord-du-Québec region of northern Quebec, Canada.
Digital Journal has contacted DFO and we will update this story as it unfolds.
Further video of the whales' predicament was uploaded to YouTube by TheKayuk (see next video)
Quebec - The race is on to rescue between eight to 17 orcas filmed trapped in ice near Inukjuak, northern Quebec. Activists are now urging Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), to step in and help the whales.
Video of the orcas who are spyhopping and appear stressed was originally sent to CTV by Lisa Di Ciero. Clement Rousseau then uploaded the video to his Facebook page, in the hopes of getting the killer whales some help.
Rousseau said he posted Di Ciero's film, "hoping that the right person will see this video, a person that can help us to bring them back to the open water ..."
Now the activist community is putting pressure on Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), to step in and seek a solution. Reminiscent of the 1988 grey whale rescue in Point Barrow, Alaska, that was featured in the film Big Miracle, activists are using social media to urge Canada to take action.
News of the trapped whales reached CTV Montreal who said "Residents of Inukjuaq are concerned that there is not enough open water for the whales to swim out." How many orcas are trapped remains unknown, but estimates put the number somewhere between eight to 17 mammals.
According to CBC News, DPO officials haven't decided yet what to do about the orcas. Johnny P. Williams of Inukjuak told the station he visited the whales, and they seem desperate for air.
"It is difficult to go near the ice since the waves from the whales are making it impossible," he said in Inuktitut. "The breathing hole is getting smaller and smaller. Their whole body jumps up for air."
An airplane was dispatched to determine how far the whales were from open water. Williams reported, "the open ice is too far away for the whales to go on their own and only an icebreaker could help them out."
In 2005, six killer whales trapped by thick ice in Russian waters died exhausted and wounded after an attempt to break free. Strong winds blew in ice floes which trapped the whales in shallow waters in the Sea of Okhotsk. It is unclear how the current pod of whales became trapped.
Erin Cunliffe said that she has already called emergency fisheries of Canada and they have the information on the orcas. "All he could tell me," Cunliffe said, "was that they are doing something about it."
Activists are urging people to call DFO's emergency number to request they intercede on behalf of the orcas. They can be reached at (877)-722-5346.
Inukjuak is a northern village located on Hudson Bay at the mouth of the Innuksuak River in Nunavik. It is in the Nord-du-Québec region of northern Quebec, Canada.
Digital Journal has contacted DFO and we will update this story as it unfolds.
Further video of the whales' predicament was uploaded to YouTube by TheKayuk (see next video)
Update: Nathalie Letendre of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, told Digital Journal a short while ago that DFO is "aware of the situation and confirms that a pod of killer whales is trapped in ice near Inukjuak."
Letendre added, "a team of experts from DFO is working very closely with its partners in Nunavik to evaluate the situation. Situations where marine mammals are trapped by the ice are not unusual in the North."
Digital Journal asked DFO if this situation is not unusual in the North, would you say then that DFO does not think the situation critical at this point?
NL: By unusual, I mean that it is not the first time that marine mammals are stuck in the ice. DFO considers it important to be on site to evaluate the situation correctly. That’s why our experts are presently travelling in the direction of Inukjuak.
Digital Journal also asked how available immediate help is and whether DFO has the resources to rapidly respond and assist these whales if needed. DFO has not yet responded to the question.
Source
Letendre added, "a team of experts from DFO is working very closely with its partners in Nunavik to evaluate the situation. Situations where marine mammals are trapped by the ice are not unusual in the North."
Digital Journal asked DFO if this situation is not unusual in the North, would you say then that DFO does not think the situation critical at this point?
NL: By unusual, I mean that it is not the first time that marine mammals are stuck in the ice. DFO considers it important to be on site to evaluate the situation correctly. That’s why our experts are presently travelling in the direction of Inukjuak.
Digital Journal also asked how available immediate help is and whether DFO has the resources to rapidly respond and assist these whales if needed. DFO has not yet responded to the question.
Source
UPDATE via Artist of the Ocean
"Aerial Photo CLOSE UP of Orcas Stranded and the Hole! This photo has me worried! #EARTHFREEDOM"
Inukjuak mayor Petah Inukpuk is urging the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to send an icebreaker as soon as possible to make additional holes in the ice to save the animals.
He thinks the opening in the Hudson Bay ice appears to be shrinking as it freezes over in the frigid temperatures.
"I would strongly advise DFO to bring the icebreaker up," said Inukpuk, adding the federal department is usually quick to tell his community about the importance of protecting wildlife.
"If the icebreaker is not brought up here in attempt to save them, then DFO is full of words and without action."
Listen to the full interview with the mayor here:
Source: Global Winnipeg | Icebreaker needed to save orcas trapped in Hudson Bay ice in Northern Quebec
He thinks the opening in the Hudson Bay ice appears to be shrinking as it freezes over in the frigid temperatures.
"I would strongly advise DFO to bring the icebreaker up," said Inukpuk, adding the federal department is usually quick to tell his community about the importance of protecting wildlife.
"If the icebreaker is not brought up here in attempt to save them, then DFO is full of words and without action."
Listen to the full interview with the mayor here:
Source: Global Winnipeg | Icebreaker needed to save orcas trapped in Hudson Bay ice in Northern Quebec
The temperature in Inukjuak is currently -11°C, but weather forecasts predict a drop to -33°C Wednesday evening - and that's not including the wind chill.
Activists are urging people to contact the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and ask Ottawa to intercede on behalf of the orcas. The DFO can be reached at (877)-722-5346 or via email here.
Source: Global Winnipeg | Icebreaker needed to save orcas trapped in Hudson Bay ice in Northern Quebec
Activists are urging people to contact the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and ask Ottawa to intercede on behalf of the orcas. The DFO can be reached at (877)-722-5346 or via email here.
Source: Global Winnipeg | Icebreaker needed to save orcas trapped in Hudson Bay ice in Northern Quebec
The whales are gone!
January 10, 2013 via the Globe and Mail
A dozen killer whales that were trapped in the ice in northern Quebec are now free.
Animal lovers around the world had been worrying about the fate of the orcas, trapped 30 kilometres off the coast of the Inuit village of Inukjuak, on the eastern shore of the Hudson Bay.
The community was planning this morning to send a team in a risky operation to widen the hole but instead found that the ice had broken loose and the orcas gone, said local resident Peter Qumaluk.
Two team leaders who had gone ahead used their satellite phone to report the happy news to the town hall.
“They feel pretty good as people around the world feel too,” Mr. Qumaluk said.
Another resident, Johnny Williams, who had been helping co-ordinate the operation, said the ice likely broke because of shifting winds during the night.
There had been concerns that the hole would freeze and trap the animals. It is now –25C in the area and the opening, initially 15-feet wide, had been shrinking, Mr. Qumaluk said.
The ice clearing spared the villagers from attempt to enlarge the whales’ breathing hole, cutting the ice with chainsaws and drills.
The stranded orcas were initially spotted in the frozen bay Tuesday. The community requested that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans send an icebreaker, but were told that a vessel would not be able to reach the area in time.
The plight of the whales drew worldwide attention, from newspapers in Hawaii and France to the BBC.
Animal lovers rallied, preparing petitions and letter campaigns to press the federal government to send help. Others offered to send generators and ice-breaking equipment.
In the end, when two locals, Jobie Epoo and Jamessie Weetaluktuk, went to the site, around 8:20 a.m., “there was open water all the way,” Mr. Qumaluk said.
“The whales were nowhere to be seen.”
Source: The Globe and Mail
The happy news had later also been confirmed by Orca Conservancy who posted the following message on their Facebook-page:
CONFIRMED: Killer Whales Trapped In Hudson Bay Are GONE.
Petah, Mayor of Inukjuak, Quebec just called me to let all of us know, and I quote:
'We are not worldly people, and our education is not like most... Last night there was a new moon, and the currents in the water was activated and caused an opening all the way to open water. The whales are not trapped, and there is no new breathing hole. It is now up to them to survive, but they are indeed, gone.'
He was also very touched by the outpouring of everyone that were willing to step up to the plate to assist them in this time of need. I gave him thanks for caring enough to get the word out, and he chuckled and said, 'you do know that they are a competitor, yes?'. And, that even so, 'they have every right to live as we do'.
I gave him the option, that if by chance they are located somewhere else to give me a call, he obliged but once again said, 'I am sure that they are gone'.
Personally, I want to thank all of you for doing your part in getting this story out, requesting help, assistance, etc.
This truly was a group effort, and my heart is smiling at how everyone came together on this. What a wonderful group of people!
Thank you,
Shari L. Tarantino
President of the Board of Directors,
Orca Conservancy
[email protected]
www.orcaconservancy.org
A dozen killer whales that were trapped in the ice in northern Quebec are now free.
Animal lovers around the world had been worrying about the fate of the orcas, trapped 30 kilometres off the coast of the Inuit village of Inukjuak, on the eastern shore of the Hudson Bay.
The community was planning this morning to send a team in a risky operation to widen the hole but instead found that the ice had broken loose and the orcas gone, said local resident Peter Qumaluk.
Two team leaders who had gone ahead used their satellite phone to report the happy news to the town hall.
“They feel pretty good as people around the world feel too,” Mr. Qumaluk said.
Another resident, Johnny Williams, who had been helping co-ordinate the operation, said the ice likely broke because of shifting winds during the night.
There had been concerns that the hole would freeze and trap the animals. It is now –25C in the area and the opening, initially 15-feet wide, had been shrinking, Mr. Qumaluk said.
The ice clearing spared the villagers from attempt to enlarge the whales’ breathing hole, cutting the ice with chainsaws and drills.
The stranded orcas were initially spotted in the frozen bay Tuesday. The community requested that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans send an icebreaker, but were told that a vessel would not be able to reach the area in time.
The plight of the whales drew worldwide attention, from newspapers in Hawaii and France to the BBC.
Animal lovers rallied, preparing petitions and letter campaigns to press the federal government to send help. Others offered to send generators and ice-breaking equipment.
In the end, when two locals, Jobie Epoo and Jamessie Weetaluktuk, went to the site, around 8:20 a.m., “there was open water all the way,” Mr. Qumaluk said.
“The whales were nowhere to be seen.”
Source: The Globe and Mail
The happy news had later also been confirmed by Orca Conservancy who posted the following message on their Facebook-page:
CONFIRMED: Killer Whales Trapped In Hudson Bay Are GONE.
Petah, Mayor of Inukjuak, Quebec just called me to let all of us know, and I quote:
'We are not worldly people, and our education is not like most... Last night there was a new moon, and the currents in the water was activated and caused an opening all the way to open water. The whales are not trapped, and there is no new breathing hole. It is now up to them to survive, but they are indeed, gone.'
He was also very touched by the outpouring of everyone that were willing to step up to the plate to assist them in this time of need. I gave him thanks for caring enough to get the word out, and he chuckled and said, 'you do know that they are a competitor, yes?'. And, that even so, 'they have every right to live as we do'.
I gave him the option, that if by chance they are located somewhere else to give me a call, he obliged but once again said, 'I am sure that they are gone'.
Personally, I want to thank all of you for doing your part in getting this story out, requesting help, assistance, etc.
This truly was a group effort, and my heart is smiling at how everyone came together on this. What a wonderful group of people!
Thank you,
Shari L. Tarantino
President of the Board of Directors,
Orca Conservancy
[email protected]
www.orcaconservancy.org
UPDATE from Artist for the Ocean:
#EarthFreedom #SaveQuebecOrcas Ground Zero UPDATE : From Shari: Spoke to Petah, the mayor who was up in the plane during this ariel survey.
One more time... whales are gone. They saw duck, and a polar bear with two cubs... no sign of the once trapped orcas.
3.5 hours up in the plane, many open spaces of water for them to not only get out, but also give them the capacity to hunt.
And, while things looked pretty frozen, when the currents changed last night, thing improved greatly.
Source
#EarthFreedom #SaveQuebecOrcas Ground Zero UPDATE : From Shari: Spoke to Petah, the mayor who was up in the plane during this ariel survey.
One more time... whales are gone. They saw duck, and a polar bear with two cubs... no sign of the once trapped orcas.
3.5 hours up in the plane, many open spaces of water for them to not only get out, but also give them the capacity to hunt.
And, while things looked pretty frozen, when the currents changed last night, thing improved greatly.
Source
Sadly, the killer whales may not be out of harm's way yet as they face deadly maze en route to Atlantic, expert says
via CTV News Canada
A group of killer whales that appeared to be freed from an icy prison in Hudson Bay after winds shifted overnight now face a 1,000-kilometre maze of deadly ice floes in order to reach the open Atlantic Ocean, says one expert.
The dozen or so orcas were first spotted this week by residents of the nearby village of Inukjuak, Que., who recorded a video of the whales coming up for air in a small hole in the ice. Their plight made headlines around the world on Wednesday, but by Thursday morning, locals reported that the whales were gone after the ice had opened up following a shift in wind direction.
Inukjuak's town manager, Johnny Williams, suspects shifting winds overnight may have pushed the ice, allowing the whales to escape.
After some local residents feared the whales were still trapped, the community hired an aerial search of the area.
Searchers did not spot the orcas, but they did see large areas of water with no ice, Mark O'Connor of the regional marine wildlife board said.
"So as far as I could tell, the emergency, for sure, is averted," said O'Connor, the board's director of wildlife management.
"Whether the whales have found a passage all the way to the Hudson Strait, we probably will never know."
And while it appears the whales are out of imminent danger, many challenges remain, said Pete Ewins, a senior Arctic species officer with WWF Canada.
"Anyone who looks at the satellite image today of sea ice coverage sees that the entire Hudson Bay system is frozen in -- as it is this time of year, mid-winter," Ewins told CTV News Channel.
"The wind has moved a little bit of ice around so that these whales are perhaps 10 or 20 kilometres further on ... but they're trapped essentially in that big Hudson Bay ice system for the winter. Normally they'd be out in the middle of the Atlantic for the winter."
From where the whales were originally spotted near Inukjuak, the whales would have to travel more than 1,000 kilometres -- through Hudson Bay, then out the Hudson Strait -- to reach the North Atlantic Ocean.
Ewins said it's unlikely that the whales will be able to reach open water any time soon. "So the question is are they going to find enough of these tiny holes to allow them to survive until May or June, when the ice starts melting?"
Inukjuak villagers requested that the Canadian Coast Guard send an icebreaker to the area Wednesday to clear a channel to open water, but were told that was not an option because there were none in the area
Ewins said there are few options available to anyone wanting to help.
It's possible the whales could be airlifted by helicopter to open water, but it would be an expensive, dangerous and difficult operation, he said. And bringing in an ice breaker wouldn't necessarily help either, since the noise and vibrations could easily send the whales further under the ice.
The whales could be simply left alone to allow nature to take its course or destroyed to spare them further suffering, Ewins said.
"This isn't the bulk of the population; these are the unfortunate losers that didn't quite get their navigation right as the ice formed at the end of October," said Ewins. "And that's just the way nature works ... nature is very powerful and sometimes very cruel."
Typically, killer whales only show up in Hudson Bay during the summer in order to prey on seals and other wildlife, and then migrate to other areas in winter.
But David Kirby, a journalist and marine life expert who has written extensively about orcas, said climate change has affected sea ice patterns in the area, and the whales' normal seasonal behaviour has been disrupted.
"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.
Tommy Palliser, a local government official who got a good look at the whales said their energy seemed to have waned as of late Wednesday,
Still, villagers were not ready to give up and they planned a rescue operation Thursday. Some had said they would try to make the existing breathing hole large and cut a second hole with chainsaws and drills.
Inukjuak is located about 1,600 kilometres north of Montreal, located on Hudson Bay's east coast.
With a report from The Associated Press
Source
A long Winter in Hudson Bay
for a family of orcas
January 10, 2013 by Mo Brock
An aerial survey today from Inukjuak, Quebec, Canada, revealed no trace of the orca family that was trapped in one small breathing hole near the village of Inukjuak. Hopes that the whales were “free” have been given a boost among many, but at the risk of showing what a skeptic I am, I believe that our vigil has, in truth, just begun.
What this “vigil” will look like, what we can do, or how we can do it, is less certain. At a minimum, we must continue to, together, watch the weather and watch for the family, and be ready to move on a moment’s notice. Watching for the family involves someone continuing to do reconnaissance flights in the area. Or on-ground surveys for any sign of the family.
The need for this vigil is revealed by knowledge about the orcas and about Hudson Bay. If Hudson Bay is truly in ice lock-down with no path to open water available, as shown in this animated ice map, even accounting for scaling issues, there is no free path from the Inukjuak area or the grid flown today by the aerial survey to the open ocean, the orcas’ Winter habitat.
While more than several newspapers and news outlets picked up the story of the trapped whales, many reports leaned toward a hopeful outcome. And while hope may spring eternal, the facts on the ground after the aerial survey, however, revealed only: no sight of the whales in a 40- by 50-mile grid where patches of open water were seen, some as large as football fields.
The overflight told us nothing about the distance to truly open water, nor could it tell us about the weather that will descend upon the Hudson Bay. Will it see warmer than usual weather or will cold arrive, as it did this week, and as is more characteristic of the Hudson Bay area?
What we also know, with or without an overflight, there is no path of ice-free water for the whales to swim through between this area and the open ocean, with sign posts that the whales can read “This Way to the Open Ocean.” As David Kirby observed, the whales are usually not in this area at this time of year. “The whales, obviously, stayed too long, and when a cold snap arrived, they found themselves trapped in an ice-bound hell.” Without a road map. With no path through the Hudson Strait to the Atlantic Ocean, where they would normally be at this time of year.
As they did in the story underlying the movie, The Big Miracle, Kasco Marine was prepared to put boots and de-icers on the ground to keep the whales’ breathing hole open as a path was created to “open water.” But nowhere in the interior of Hudson Bay is it considered “open water” for this family of orcas. “Open water” is the Atlantic Ocean. So to reach “open water”, it may be necessary to follow the whales from breathing hole to breathing hole until the Spring thaw.
For now, with the family not being spotted, there is nothing to do but watch. Watch for the whales and for a change in ice conditions. Should the family reappear, however, a restart of a Herculean effort like the one coordinated on Facebook by Fins and Fluke may be necessary.
Many thanks to the groups and individuals who worked to establish contacts from the United States to Australia to Canada and back again and to make #SaveQuebecWhales trend on Twitter. While it may be a long Winter in Hudson Bay for this family of orcas, they will not endure this Winter alone. There are people all around the world standing at the ready if and when they are again sighted.
Join us!
Source