Hudson Bay trapped whales
Trapped: Whales stuck in Canada’s Hudson Bay (Picture: Reuters)

A pod of trapped killer whales whose plight sparked an urgent appeal for help have reached safety after the floating ice shifted on Canada’s Hudson Bay.

The mammals, who were hemmed in by a vast section of sea ice, escaped to the open sea 10km (six miles) away after a change in wind direction helped shift the floes.

Two hunters reported that the water had opened up around the area where the cornered whales had been trapped.

‘They confirmed that the whales were no longer there and there was a lot of open water,’ explained Inukjuak village leader Tommy Palliser, who lives nearby.

‘That’s good news for the whales.’

Killer whales
People look on as the killer whales gasp for air (Picture: AP)

Locals had called for an icebreaker to help free the animals-  just like the Drew Barrymore film Big Miracle, about an 1988 attempt to rescue whales in Alaska.

A pod of about 12 animals had gathered at an ice hole for air since Tuesday. A sudden drop in temperature is thought to have caught them off guard.