Great News to all.
The two scouts went ahead this morning to check up on the condition of the killer whales.
Word came back from the scouts, and great news. When they arrived at the site, they saw that the ice had cracked, and there had been a large opening all the way to the open ice which was approximately 35 kilometers.
During the meeting last night, the elders, and the hunters had indicated that the new moon would have made the difference to favour the killer whales and the Inuit Hunters who volunteered to rescue them.
The currents underneath, and the small winds from the north had made the difference, and made way for the orca to escape.
The community is extremely happy of the news. We are happy, and extremely grateful for the support we have received from all over the globe.
Yesterday's plan for today was;
At 8:00 a.m. EST, two hunters were to go and scout, and asses the condition of the whales.
If the killer whales were still in the predicament, they were to call back using a satellite phone, and have the command centre assemble the volunteer party. A group of 20 volunteers.
These volunteers were going to split up into groups.
1 Group removing the loose ice blocks that were contributing to the ever decreasing breathing hole.
The 2nd group, was to go a distance a way and create a larger hole for the whole pod to breathe.
The 3rd group was to keep a look out (for Polar Bears) at the site.
Our climate up here is changing, we are noticing the effects of Global Warming. Experienced hunters have died in the recent past because the changing weather patterns they aren't familiar with. The orca would have experienced the same thing if nothing was done, and nothing changed in wind direction.
On behalf of the family of Orca, the community of Inukjuak thanks to all those who offered their support and assistance.
For the Community and the Mayor,
JK
P.s. The ice broke off so much the scouts have indicated that there is now open water visible.
Again Thank you
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
The Community Initiative
This blog site was created in late evening of January 9th, 2013.
Anyone may refer to contents of this website freely, and this includes all media.
Join our efforts to save the Orca trapped in the ice just outside Inukjuak.
Inukjuak is an Inuit community with a population of approximately 1,800 people, comprised of mostly Inuit, and some non-Inuit.
The community of Inukjuak was made aware of the Orcas and their grave predicament. The municipality was called by a group of hunters who happened to run into the Orca while on a seal hunting trip on the pack ice.
According to the hunter (names will be withheld due to the high volume of calls being received from the world, also those people who found the whales will be at the site taking part in the aid effort) who first sighted them, at that first sighting he thought he saw odd looking raven taking flight from the ice, but it wasn't so, because he started see black masts coming out and disappearing back into the ice.
That is when he realized that they were in fact killer whales (Aarluks/Napajuliit)stuck in a small pond of open ice that they have been using for air.
Once the community was made aware of the whales, the mobile portion of the population went to see the whales, and started personally documenting their experience, and proof of such trapped Killer whales. Thus the video clips now available online.
The community had it`s meeting on the 9th of January at the municipal council. Concerned citizens, and members of local organizations met, and planned their aid efforts for the orca.
The Plan:
January 10th, 2013.
First at 8:00 A.M.EST, a scouting team of two will head to the site to see if the breathing hole is still being used by the whales.
Once there is confirmation from the scouts (who will also head the remote operations centre at the site) the community volunteers who were selected to rescue operations at 9:00 A.M. EST will gather all their supplies and head to meet the scouts/team leaders.
Photo: Inuit raising their hands, volunteering.
Volunteers were going over their pre-trip plan, and were briefed of the danger both whale and human will face in this rescue effort. This will be reiterated.
The temperatures have been going down to -30 degrees Celsius (-24 degrees Farenheit) without windchill. If any media group is coming up, please dress extremely warm, and make sure that your equipment can survive the cold.
The command centre will be open at 8:00 A.M. and will be at Municipal Office.
All access to the site will have to be pre-approved by the Command Centre, and once at the remote site, the site leaders will be in-charge of the site. The general public was asked not to come to the site due to their personal safety at risk to the elements, and so that they do not hinder or obstruct the rescue effort.
There are photos of the meeting but are of poor quality because I forgot to clean the lens due to the gravity of the situation, and the intensity of the meeting.
Updates are to come.
JK
Anyone may refer to contents of this website freely, and this includes all media.
Join our efforts to save the Orca trapped in the ice just outside Inukjuak.
Inukjuak is an Inuit community with a population of approximately 1,800 people, comprised of mostly Inuit, and some non-Inuit.
The community of Inukjuak was made aware of the Orcas and their grave predicament. The municipality was called by a group of hunters who happened to run into the Orca while on a seal hunting trip on the pack ice.
According to the hunter (names will be withheld due to the high volume of calls being received from the world, also those people who found the whales will be at the site taking part in the aid effort) who first sighted them, at that first sighting he thought he saw odd looking raven taking flight from the ice, but it wasn't so, because he started see black masts coming out and disappearing back into the ice.
That is when he realized that they were in fact killer whales (Aarluks/Napajuliit)stuck in a small pond of open ice that they have been using for air.
Once the community was made aware of the whales, the mobile portion of the population went to see the whales, and started personally documenting their experience, and proof of such trapped Killer whales. Thus the video clips now available online.
The community had it`s meeting on the 9th of January at the municipal council. Concerned citizens, and members of local organizations met, and planned their aid efforts for the orca.
The Plan:
January 10th, 2013.
First at 8:00 A.M.EST, a scouting team of two will head to the site to see if the breathing hole is still being used by the whales.
Once there is confirmation from the scouts (who will also head the remote operations centre at the site) the community volunteers who were selected to rescue operations at 9:00 A.M. EST will gather all their supplies and head to meet the scouts/team leaders.
Photo: Inuit raising their hands, volunteering.
Volunteers were going over their pre-trip plan, and were briefed of the danger both whale and human will face in this rescue effort. This will be reiterated.
The temperatures have been going down to -30 degrees Celsius (-24 degrees Farenheit) without windchill. If any media group is coming up, please dress extremely warm, and make sure that your equipment can survive the cold.
The command centre will be open at 8:00 A.M. and will be at Municipal Office.
All access to the site will have to be pre-approved by the Command Centre, and once at the remote site, the site leaders will be in-charge of the site. The general public was asked not to come to the site due to their personal safety at risk to the elements, and so that they do not hinder or obstruct the rescue effort.
There are photos of the meeting but are of poor quality because I forgot to clean the lens due to the gravity of the situation, and the intensity of the meeting.
Updates are to come.
JK
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