These are the heartwarming stories I live for. Too often, we hear stories of wildlife that do not have happy endings. I write about animals on the brink of extinction or how we are negatively impacting them and their environment. However, today I get to write about how people came together and helped save three whales that were trapped in Arctic ice.
Three Whales Trapped In Arctic Ice
The story took place back on October 7, 1988. People Magazine shared that an Inuit whale hunter spotted three juvenile California gray whales trapped in the Arctic ice. They were trapped in the frozen sea near Point Barrow, Alaska, with no escape in sight. It was later discovered that the three whales had waited too long before setting off on their winter migration, and the consequences were disastrous.
A freeze had come a bit earlier than expected, trapping the three whales in the Arctic ice. Roy Ahmaogak is the individual who found them and reported them to a biologist for help. The footage was truly disheartening. It showed the whales with bloodied heads as they bashed themselves against the ice in an attempt to free themselves and get some air.
That live footage is all it took. Once people saw the poor, bloodied whales, the world sprang into action.
How The World Banded Together To Save The Whales Trapped In Arctic Ice
Image:Getty
The harrowing scene tugged at people's heartstrings and prompted them to take action. "Operation Breakthrough" was enacted. That operation was "a rescue effort involving regional, national, and international cooperation," according to the outlet. Individuals nearby snowmobiled to the scene and helped keep the hole open for the whales to breathe. They did this with chainsaws and ice chisels. Then, they set to work carving out a path so the three whales could escape the frozen prison they were trapped in.
Even the then-President and the National Guard got involved. Ronald Regan called them in and told them to assist in any way that they could with this operation to save the whales. Even Veco Inc., an Alaskan oilfield service, got involved. They offered an "80-foot, $3 million hover barge, which could break through the ice." When that failed to save the three whales trapped in the Arctic ice, "a 10,000-pound concrete-and-steel battering ram was used to punch 24-foot holes through the ice." That is what started the whale's path to freedom.
Civilians To The Rescue
Even with all of the help, time was running out. That is when two civilians, Greg Ferrian and Rick Skluzacek, stepped in. They arrived at the scene, uninvited but with the perfect tool. People Magazine shares that they brought their "family firm's bubbling de-icers, $400 electric fan-like devices." These devices were great because "when lowered into the sea, they churned warmer water up from below to prevent ice from forming."
Those machines worked wonders and helped turn the ice into slush. Afterward, they enlisted the help of the Barrow government. Laborers were paid to cut "24 rectangular holes stretching a half mile toward the open channel." Finally, the plan worked. Hours after the operation, the whales were seen disappearing into the dark water below.
Unfortunatley, only two of the whales resurfaced once again. The smallest of the whales disappeared into the dark waters forever. However, the combined efforts of everyone were able to save two of the three whales trapped in the Arctic ice.
