A group of a dozen orcas are trapped in ICE in northern Japan as rescue crews are unable to reach the struggling orcas

A group of about a dozen killer whales have been left stranded in the ice off the coast of northern Japan as rescuers say they cannot reach the animals.

Shocking drone footage showed the struggling orcas trying to break free from the chunks of ice surrounding them around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday off the coast of Rausu in eastern Hokkaido, NHK reported.

Rescue operations were not possible because the city said they had “no choice but to wait for the drift ice to break and for them to escape.”

A local fisherman reported the struggling group and the video was taken by others surveying sea lions and other animals off the coast.

The wind in the area has been weak since Monday and has caused the drift ice to stagnate. The ice may also have expanded more due to a 'wave spray' or small water droplets from the ocean's breaking waves.

The head of one of the orcas can be seen protruding from the huge chunks of ice

The person who captured the moment said he believed there were about three to four baby orcas in the group and said one looked like “he wasn't feeling well,” according to NHK.

The video of the scene begins with the capsule jumping in and out of the water trying to break free from the ice with large mountain peaks behind it in the distance.

The icy water moves near them, but the large areas around them don't move as much.

Rausu Town reported that a similar incident occurred in 2005, when another group of whales was caught in drift ice off the same coast, and most of them did not survive. It is unclear how many whales died in that incident.

There are more than 100 orcas that have visited Rausu, Saiyu Travel Co. reported.

Killer whale families appear every year between May and July in the Nemuro Strait, a part of the sea located between Rausu and Kunashiri Island.

The marine mammal, also known as 'king of the sea', is found in oceans around the world, but can only be seen in underwater displays at Kamogawa Sea Worldreports the aquarium attraction.

A rescue mission failed as the city said they had 'no choice but to wait for the drift ice to break and for them to escape'

Although killer whales are often called killer whales, they are actually part of the dolphin family.

They are the largest member of the dolphin family, as a male killer whale can grow up to 33 feet long and weigh about 20,000 pounds, according to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation USA.

Females are known to grow to about 27 feet in length and can reportedly live about 80 years longer than a male killer whale.

They are known as 'killer whales' because ancient sailors saw them hunting large whales. They also feast on fish, squid, seals and seabirds and are known to like great white sharks, according to the Natural history museum.

When orcas hunt, they usually do so as a family or in groups. They are also known as 'highly intelligent cetaceans' that work together to hunt their prey.

A pod of killer whales was recently spotted hunting dolphins off the coast of La Jolla in San Diego, California.

Surfers and swimmers witnessed the rare event up close when a pod of killer whales chased and tore apart a dolphin near shore.

A surfer sees a group of killer whales rip apart a dolphin before the dead mammal sank into the water

Footage from that moment showed a group of surfboarders watching killer whales leap through the water off the coast of San Diego's La Jolla

Footage of that moment shows a group of surfboarders watching orcas jump through the water.

As they floated quietly on their boards, we saw the orcas emerge from the end of a pier and throw a dolphin out of the water.

The group then attacked and tore the mammal apart as it sank into the water.

During this time, a man was heard saying, “Oh my god, they're literally eating the dolphin.”

A few seconds later, the group was seen swimming off into deeper waters, while one man quickly swam parallel to the orcas.