Soviet Icebreaker Moskva's Musical Rescue of Trapped Beluga Whales
In February 1985, the Soviet icebreaker Moskva undertook a unique rescue operation to save thousands of beluga whales trapped in the ice near the Chukchi Peninsula. The whales, numbering between 2,500 and 3,000, were discovered by local hunters in late 1984, trapped by dense ice with limited breathing holes. The Soviet authorities, alerted to the situation, dispatched the Moskva, one of the few ships capable of breaking through the thick ice. Upon arrival, the crew faced the challenge of coaxing the whales to follow the ship through a navigable corridor they created. According to Soviet reports, the crew played music over loudspeakers to encourage the whales to follow the icebreaker. The operation was partially successful, with approximately 2,000 whales eventually reaching open water, although around 1,000 perished. 
