1988day.year
A hunter discovers three gray whales trapped under the ice near Alaska; the situation becomes a multinational effort to free the whales.
A hunter discovered three gray whales trapped under Alaskan ice in 1988, sparking an unprecedented international rescue operation.
In October 1988, a local Inupiat hunter in Alaska spotted three gray whales trapped below a thick ice sheet near the northern coast. The discovery prompted an emergency rescue involving teams from the United States, Canada, and the Soviet Union. Crews drilled breathing holes and delivered food to keep the whales alive. Over several weeks, coordinated efforts managed to carve a channel through the ice and guide the whales to open water. The successful operation became a landmark in multinational wildlife conservation and highlighted the importance of global cooperation to protect endangered species.
1988
a multinational effort to free the whales