Have Japan’s trapped orcas ‘escaped’? Nation holds breath as case highlights changing nature of Hokkaido’s drift ice
All Nippon News on Tuesday aired footage showing the whales, including three calves, struggling to breathe in a contracting area of water near the coast of Rausu town in Hokkaido prefecture. The video suggested the pod could have as many as 17 orcas, according to local environmental group Wildlife Pro, which shot the footage.