The Key to Their Rescue? : Whales ‘Thank’ De-Icing Crew for Breathing Space

Whirring de-icing machines today reopened breathing holes in a growing Arctic ice pack where three California gray whales are trapped, and the devices may be the key to the ultimate rescue of the huge mammals, a biologist said.

Thickening ice had threatened to seal a pair of breathing holes and end the trapped whales’ 13-day struggle for survival when the de-icing machines, rushed to Alaska on Wednesday by a volunteer, Rick Skluzacek of Lakeland, Minn., saved the day.

With an exquisite display of the northern lights shimmering over them and aided by the lights of snowmobiles, rescuers worked until 1:30 a.m. today to get the de-icers running so they could churn up the encroaching ice.

Large Propellers

The de-icers--which essentially are propellers that churn the water to keep it from freezing--broke up the slush like low-speed Jacuzzis and the whales came up for air, spraying rescuers with an icy mist from their blow holes.

“They’re thanking you,” said rescue coordinator Ron Morris of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration when a surfacing whale sprayed them.

“I’m thrilled,” Skluzacek said.

The whales’ battered noses rose and fell in the light of snowmobiles ringing the hole. They seemed to be attracted to the lights and to delight in discovery of the ice-free holes, said Thomas Albert, a marine biologist.

Best Luck So Far

Albert rated the machines the biggest success so far in the tense rescue effort. The next step, he said, would be to punch a new hole in the 2-foot-thick ice pack and bring another of the de-icing machines into operation. It is hoped that the whales will associate the humming sound with open water and move on to the new hole.

If that works, Albert said, staggered holes in the ice could possibly lead the whales five miles across the ice pack to open water and freedom.

The ice thickened so fast that two other breathing holes cut in the ice Wednesday were frozen over Thursday, never having been used by the whales.

But Skluzacek showed up bearing a business card reading “de-icing consultant” and bringing six de-icing machines.

Even if the machines, made by a company Skluzacek’s father started 15 years ago, are unable to draw the whales closer to open water, they should buy time until a long-awaited ice-breaking barge can reach Barrow and carve them a path to the open sea.

The barge is being towed by helicopter from 200 miles east of Barrow but only went five miles Wednesday before stalling.