Killer whales struggle as ice traps them off Japan coast

A pod of orcas appeared to struggle as they were trapped in drift ice off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan, on Tuesday (6 February).

The group of at least 10 killer whales was stuck in the middle of ice about 1 km off of Rausu, a drone video from the Wildlife Pro group shows.

Footage showed the pod clustered together and they appeared to be sticking their heads out of the water.

Drift ice had been moving southward and reached the coast of Rausu on the Shiretoko peninsula, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on Tuesday morning according to the Japanese Yomiuri newspaper.