On Wednesday morning, 11 killer whales were discovered trapped in ice, off the coast of the small Inuit village of Inukjuak.
A local hunter discovered the orcas, two of which were adults, with nine younger whales.
The 11 whales were confined in a space of about 30 feet by 30 feet, which they used as an opening for a breathing hole.
The whales began to panic, trying to find open water, but were unable to, being surrounded completely by ice.
Typically an icebreaker ship would be brought in to free the whales, but the closest crew was 36-hours away.
Villagers of Inukjuak held a public meeting and decided to cut a half mile of holes for the whales to travel through, on the way to open water.
Villagers were prepared to use chainsaws to break holes and propellers to warm the ice, but a shift in current broke the ice naturally, allowing the orcas to escape.
