Seal Hunt Ships Rescued from Crushing Ice Pack

Dozens of ships carrying commercial seal hunters have been rescued from crushing ice off the coast of Canada's eastern Newfoundland province, authorities said, but most of the fleet remains adrift or trapped. Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers and helicopters were dispatched a week ago to try to help more than 100 ships carrying hundreds of mariners taking part in Canada's annual seal cull, after shifting winds and two storms stranded them in a massive ice pack offshore. The remainder of the fleet managed to wiggle free themselves, but remained adrift in the Atlantic, waiting on the edges for an ice-free route to open up to return to port. Source: Herald Sun