The entrapment, known as savsaat by the Inuit, was discovered in May by two bear hunters. In all, these hunters reported that more than 50 whales were trapped. Soon, other residents from Grise Fiord, a remote Inuit hamlet in the Canadian High Arctic, traveled 50 miles by snowmobile to break holes in the ice so the whales could breathe. When they arrived, polar bears had killed at least 12 of the whales, and many others bore deep flesh wounds and other evidence of bear attacks. About 15 of the most severely injured were then harpooned by the Inuit, at least partially to end the suffering. The hunters harvested what they could of the meat. The bears took what remained.
Cochran writes that when she arrived at the site in June, most of the 20 or so surviving whales were clustered near a hole that measured about 10 feet by 16 feet. Belugas, like all whales, need to surface for air to live. Belugas, however, need fresh air every half mile, and free-flowing water was more than 13 miles away in Baffin Bay.
While the prodded each other like cattle, struggling to breathe, polar bears from all around the area came to feast on their unfortunate prey. Polar bears can smell trapped whales from at least 10 miles away, and they can store and live off reserves of fat for several months. Cochran reports how she watched one female bear stalk the whales for days. Standing at the side of the largest hole for hours at a time, this bear studied the whales as they rose out of the water. Sometimes, the bear dove after them, undeterred by people yelling at her and a hunger shooting a rifle.
Eventually, this bear had her feast. But despite the careful observation of Cochran and others, none of the scientists present were certain how the bears got the half-ton belugas out of the water. What is known is that the bears don't just grab a beluga and call it dinner. Instead, they pound at a whale's blowhole with their claws, shredding the airway until it becomes so damaged that the beluga either asphyxiates or is forced to continually surface for air, which makes it easier prey.
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