Dolphins trapped behind drifting pack ice - International Herald Tribune

SEAL COVE, Newfoundland: Five exhausted dolphins have been trapped behind drifting pack ice for several days and now need rapid rescue, the mayor of an eastern Canadian village said Wednesday.

The 8-foot (2.4-meter)-long animals somehow became separated from the open Atlantic and have been swimming in circles for four days in a shrinking open area of Seal Cove's harbor, just 100 feet (30 meters) from shore, said Mayor Winston May.

"They keep going round circles, trying to keep this little pool of water open so that they can have their breathing area. And the whole bay seems to be froze up, there's no where else for them to go," said May.

Dolphins Stuck In Ice, Can Be Heard “Crying” [Video]

The mayor has called upon Canada’s Fisheries Department to send crews in to break up the ice and set the dolphins free. The concern is that as more ice forms, the areas in which the dolphins can reach the surface for oxygen will continue to become smaller. Eventually, if not helped, they could drown.

The mayor says the Fisheries Department has told him “no boats were available,” the AP reports.