For thousands of years,
my people have lived at the edge of the world.
Unknown, alone, until one brief moment
when the world found us.
Feel its rhythm.
We have to be close enough to touch.
We must know where the abviq will surface before it does.
Can you tell me?
Concentrate! Come on, concentrate.
Kill abviq. Kill abviq!
Inspired by a true story
Barrow, Alaska October, 1988
The avocado,
a native fruit of Mexico and the key ingredient used in making guacamole.
Now, nothing grows in this brutal climate.
So, how did the avocado end up 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle?
Well, this little guy and pretty much everything else in town
has to take four separate plane rides
to arrive up here in chilly Barrow, Alaska.
As you can imagine, the folks here at Amigos restaurant,
the northern-most Mexican restaurant in the world,
well, they can't get enough of this special treat.
Hey, guys, how's the food?
Holy guacamole, that's good.
From up here in Barrow, Alaska,
I'm Adam Carlson, Channel 2 News.
Mexican food in the Arctic, huh?
Well, now I've heard everything. Thanks, Adam.
Adam Carlson continues his "Adam Around Alaska" reports from Barrow
through the end of this week.
That's gonna do it for us down here in Anchorage
on this Tuesday, October 11th, 1988.
I'm Don Davis. Good evening.
Speech! Speech! Speech!
No, no.
Speech! Speech! Speech!
All right. Let me think.
I think it was Mark Twain
who said that the coldest winter he ever spent
was a summer in San Francisco.
Let me tell you this is the coldest summer I've spent anywhere.
But with the warmest people, and I really mean that.
Thank you all for your hospitality.
Appreciate it.
When are you leaving?
Thursday.
Wait, you said that you were gonna do a story
on my cousin and his snowmobile tricks.
You promised.
I promised?
I think I said, if I had time. I'm really sorry.
Come on.
I don't think I'm gonna have time.
Please, it won't take long. I'm sorry.
Is he even good?
He'll blow your mind.
Keep it up!
Cool! Very cool!
Get this one. This one, this one.
Awesome, Arnold!
This is pretty amazing, huh?
You're being serious?
Yeah. This is it?
He's only warming up for the Donuts!
Arnold, do the Donuts!
Do something, Arnold.
What the hell?
Anchorage, Alaska
Boys.
There's the S.O.B.
Now, now. Come on, Rob.
We don't know who's going to get the drilling rights
until we hear the bids.
I think that's the way it works, right?
I'm surprised to see you here.
I thought you would be down on the ranch roping some R and R.
Well, I figure, what's the fun in buying a new car
if you can't be there to take delivery?
Good morning.
If everyone will please take a seat,
we will go ahead and get started.
As you all know, the bids for the oil drilling rights to Bristol Bay
have all been submitted to the US Department of the Interior
and have been kept secret.
Until now.
The highest bid is,
and the contract for Bristol Bay goes to
J.W. McGraw and Alaska Northern Oil.
Yes!
Yes, good work, you guys.
What about the Greenpeace bid?
The law says that you have to read all the bids.
What about the Greenpeace bid?
Ma'am, please.
We bid the value of all the wildlife you're putting at risk.
Please have a seat.
Three-quarters of the world's salmon
is being endangered up there, Mr. McGraw.
Yeah. Get her the hell out of here.
Three species of whales pass through there every year.
There's nothing that whales like more than a big oil spill.
It's their favorite.
Wait, I'm not done.
I'm not finished.
Yes, you are.
The law says that you have to read all...
Are you... Really?
Okay, fine. I'll read the bids myself.
Steller sea lions!
Hello, guys.
Hey.
Malik, Pat. Hi.
You got to see this.
And here comes number two.
Female.
First one was a male, young but grown.
Oh! It's a baby, maybe eight months old.
Can they get free?
No. This solid ice goes for five miles from the...
This is solid ice, Adam.
It goes for five miles
from here to the waterways that lead to the open ocean.
These gray heads are too soft to go through thick ice,
but they know they have to keep the hole open so they don't drown.
What do you think? A couple of days?
Two, maybe three days, then this freezes over and...
Cuts and bruises are now visible each time the whales surface.
But for these three, there is no choice.
Cuts and bruises are now visible each time the whales surface.
But for...
Don Davis.
Hey, Don. Adam Carlson.
Adam, how are things up there in the icebox?
Going pretty well. Just preparing for my move to Chickaloon.
Yeah. That's good, because it seems like your material up there
is running pretty thin.
Well, you know what? I think Barrow might have one more story left in her.
Oh, really? What do you got?
Ten more great uses for seal blubber?
No, whales, actually.
I got three California grays trapped in the ice.
I got a great report and a ton of footage.
Whales, huh?
Everybody loves whales.
Yeah, I guess.
Well, shoot it on down to me on the satellite.
I'll take a look at it.
Fantastic! All right, I'm sending it up right now.
You're gonna love it. I promise. All right.
Take it easy. Okay.
The Reagan administration
just keeps selling off our natural resources
to their buddies in the oil company, like Mr. McGraw.
Get off me!
After Miss Kramer was ejected from the hall,
the oil lease auction proceeded without incident.
And now from one environmental story to another.
A family of three gray whales
have found themselves trapped in the icy waters off Point Barrow.
Adam Carlson reports.
I'm standing out on this frozen landscape
where we've recently discovered a tragedy unfolding here in Barrow.
It's either continue fighting to keep the hole open, or drown.
Both experts here give the whales a slim chance of survival.
I'm Adam Carlson, reporting from Barrow, Alaska.
Come on.
Okay, even I know that was way better than Arnold's wheelies.
Right? Yeah.
And, see, something like this would be very good for my reel.
Adam, phone.
Bet you that's a groupie.
All right, let's not get carried away. Do you think it could be?
Yeah.
This is Adam Carlson.
You have whales in trouble up there and you didn't call me?
I didn't call you because there's nothing you can do.
Well, there's always something you can do.
You didn't call me because I'm me.
Yes, that's also true.
Because when we broke up,
you said not to call you or speak to you ever again.
But this is different. There are whales in trouble.
Rachel, if I called you every time a dung beetle or a fungus was in trouble,
we'd never get off the phone.
Adam.
Okay, how long can they last?
I don't know.
Pat says a couple of days.
The ice is getting thicker.
That's not your only problem, though.
The Inupiats want to harvest them.
But they don't eat grays, they eat bowhead.
I know, but they haven't filled their quota this year.
So, on Sunday night the whaling captains are meeting to get their permit.
Not if I can help it.
And a big thank you to Governor Haskell.
Governor Haskell.
Miss Kramer, nice to see you again.
How's everything in nature?
Fine. Listen, I don't mean to disrupt you...
I don't think you know any other way.
Governor, three gray whales are trapped off the coast of Barrow
and we were wondering if you could help us.
What kind of help?
Mobilize the National Guard up to Barrow
with a ship that can break through the ice.
Are you serious?
You want me to mobilize the National Guard to save a few whales?
Excuse me.
Because whales can't vote, right?
And they can't give big campaign contributions,
so, who cares about a bunch of stupid whales, right?
Please.
In Alaska, there are no simple rescues.
If I get the National Guard involved,
I'm putting their lives at risk,
and when a whale dies, Miss Kramer,
you don't have to tell its wife and children.
NBC Studios, New York
All right, people, let's go over this one more time.
We do the Bush-Dukakis debates, followed by voter reaction.
Do the budget deficit piece, the S&L indictments and what?
The Anti-Drug bill, right?
That leaves us a minute and 40 seconds to fill.
Well, did anything new come in on the feeds?
Yeah, you got Chrysler laying off 5,000.
A train off the tracks in India, 60 dead.
And a bunch of whales stuck in the ice in the North Pole.
Whales.
Brokaw's a sucker for those stories.
Wait, wait, wait, but show me how you got that.
It's easy.
If 26 is less or equal to three-x plus one,
I just use the additive...
Adam, listening?
Yep.
...It also means hot dogs.
Specifically, Deener's Weiners.
A MacArthur Park institution for over 50 years.
You like her.
What? No, I don't.
Well, I like her. She's hot.
Okay, don't you have to go?
No.
Yes, I think you do.
I think you're supposed to be at a dance thing.
It's so boring.
It's also tradition
and your grandfather's going to kill me if you miss it, so...
So? It's not like I'm gonna be here when I grow up.
I don't want to be here.
I want to be out there, like you.
Can you believe that she was in a tiny little news station
in Lawrence, Kansas, like, four years ago?
Yeah, you like her. Holy crap!
Whoa! What did I say about the language? Holy crap!
In Northern Alaska, winter comes very early,
and for three California gray whales,
it may have come too early this year.
Adam Carlson reports from the most northern point of the United States.
I'm standing out on this frozen landscape
where we recently discovered a tragedy unfolding here in Barrow.
Ice is freezing the Beaufort Sea,
more quickly than usual for this time of year.
And three gray whales,
two adults and their baby,
are now trapped within a wall of ice, six inches thick.
According to Pat Lafayette of Alaska Wildlife Management,
these gray whales were to have already begun their annual migration south.
It's a 5, 000-mile journey that takes them down the coast of North America
to a lagoon in Baja, Mexico, where they breed.
These three whales were certainly not expecting
to be imprisoned in an Arctic dungeon.
A gray whale's head, unlike the stout bowhead whale,
is too soft to break through the ice
and it's beginning to take its toll.
Cuts and bruises are now visible each time the whales surface.
But for these three, there is no choice.
It's either continue fighting to keep the hole open, or drown.
Both experts here give the whales a slim chance of survival.
Good morning, Greenpeace.
Dave, those whales are dead if I don't get some help. Okay?
Greenpeace Headquarters, Anchorage
There's the quote for your paper. I gotta go.
Hello.
I know how you can free those whales.
Who is this?
I'm a friend of the whales.
In Prudhoe Bay, there's a giant hover barge
that belongs to Alaska Northern Oil.
It was built to break through the ice,
and trust me, it's exactly what you need.
You just have to get the National Guard to supply a helicopter
to tow it from Prudhoe to Barrow.
How do you know all of this?
I have very good connections.
Where the hell are we?
Brokaw and his damn whales!
"All raw whale and seal meat
"must be stored in leak-proof packages for shipment."
You know, I think they got a sign like that in Disneyland.
Did you find the bathroom?
Yeah. Two Porta-Johns.
One with a broken door. One with a frozen lid.
Oh, God!
Boulder, Colorado
She called you? Interesting.
I'll tell you something, Ruth.
That woman has got a hell of a big pair
thinking that she can ask me for help
after the way she embarrassed me like that.
I mean, she's nuts if she thinks I'm going to let some hippies
use my barge to save a bunch of whales!
Thank you.
Is Barrow near that Arctic wildlife reserve you're always going on about?
That place you want to drill so bad?
That's a whole other fight.
She's got her tree-hugger buddies in Washington killing me on that one, too.
You know, I spent a fortune and I still can't get the votes I need to drill.
Can you imagine what those people would think if you saved those whales?
Yeah, right.
If we started hugging trees, too.
I'll tell you what it would do.
It would make it a whole lot harder to make me look like the bad guy all the time.
Honey, how much could it cost to move one silly little barge?
Well, I'll tell you. Twenty or thirty grand, probably.
Excuse me, I'll be right back. Sorry.
Yeah, Bobby, I just changed my mind.
Tell the witch she can use my barge.
Right. Whoa, whoa, whoa! Listen, have the girls put out a press release
saying that we're even going to spring for the gas for the helicopters.
All right?
You did that story on Hurricane Gilbert last month.
Yeah.
Adam and I watched every second of that.
Really?
Yeah, we got all the feeds at the TV station.
Hey, how did they get that killer facility
all the way out to a place like this?
Welcome to Barrow.
You have a $400-million high school next to a $400 house.
Did you get the tapes?
Oh, no.
I don't know how you do it.
I'm not from here. I'm down in Anchorage.
I would love to get to the lower 48, though.
It involves El Niño, if you can believe that.
That's amazing.
With the whale story heating up,
maybe you guys could take a look at my reel, or...
I don't think he's going to recommend anybody who can steal his job.
What the hell?
Yeah, those things are like twigs out in this temperature.
I keep some extras in the trunk.
I'll get them.
Ow!
Ow.
Could you get me some coffee?
Maybe some hot coffee.
Time and hope appear to be running out...
It's on! It's on!
...for three California gray whales that have been trapped
for more than a week in the thickening ice of the Arctic Ocean.
Hey, what's happening?
They are pathetic creatures.
One can hear the sound of panic as they surface to breathe.
Temperatures are well below zero.
The hole has gotten smaller, the ice has gotten thicker.
The three whales have nowhere to go.
It's five miles from here to open water.
And they can't swim that far underwater without breathing.
Groups like Greenpeace are scrambling to figure out how to save the whales,
but the local Inupiat tribe is considering an alternative plan.
Harvesting the whales for food.
KABC Studios, Los Angeles
Okay. One last thing. This whale story is heating up.
I need to send someone.
Don't everybody jump at once.
I'll go.
I've spoken to a marine biologist about the situation
and I've already been in contact with the mayor's office in Barrow.
Uh-huh. It's yours if you want it, Wes.
Oh, it's a cat-in-a-tree.
I think I'll stick around here and do the stories that matter.
Really, and what is it that makes a story matter, Wes?
What makes a story matter is that I cover it.
Now, if those whales go on a killing spree, or run for office,
give me a call.
We've secured the hover barge
and now all we need is the cooperation of the National Guard.
But that has to come down from the governor, and so far,
the governor has basically turned his back on the whales.
Next question.
I hate her so much.
And we will do everything we can to help these poor creatures.
Yeah.
Nine. Ten.
Eagle River, Alaska
Eleven.
You got it. Finish it, Boyer!
Colonel Boyer.
Yes, General.
Now, the ice-breaking hover barge
is up in my Prudhoe Bay drilling complex.
So, all you have to do is hook a line to it,
take your chopper and pull it across the ice here,
all the way up to Barrow.
It's 270 miles as a crow flies.
Right.
Are these whales posing a threat to anyone?
How many lives are in danger?
None. Just the whales.
Are they at least killer whales, sir?
Relax, Scotty.
This is purely a PR thing on our end.
Right, yeah. More like that.
Come on back here for a sec.
The pull will take two days, max.
Maybe another day in Barrow, breaking the ice.
You'll be home before the weekend.
So, who am I taking my orders from then, General?
We're all in this together, Scotty.
Yeah. Look, Colonel, hell, if it was up to me,
I'd drop a bunch of bombs to break up the ice.
But the experts say that would kill pretty much every other critter up there.
So, it's the hover barge.
The good news is that the pull should be a piece of cake.
With all due respect, Mr. McGraw,
nothing is that simple in the Arctic.
That's why you're paying high-school dropouts
$200,000 a year to work your rigs up there.
Colonel, if J.W. says it's doable, it's doable.
Yes, sir.
Good.
This is insane.
Hey, Pat.
Hi, Rachel.
Hi, Adam.
Hey.
I brought you something.
Oh...
It's a birthday present,
but you dumped me before I had the chance to give it to you.
Well, that's not really what happened, but thank you.
It's a robe.
Surprise!
I figured you could use something up here to keep you warm.
Absolutely.
No. Thank you, this is really sweet of you. Thanks.
So, what's your plan?
Stop the Inupiats.
Mmm-hmm.
Use the media to show the world what heartless hunters they are.
Adam? What?
Are you even listening to me?
Yes. Yes, I definitely am.
You know, the Inupiats are very good people.
They're killers, Adam.
And I'm the only thing standing between those whales and their harpoons.
But when I'm done,
the press is gonna want to hang them from the rafters.
$0, happy birthday.
Five hundred a night?
Yep. For this?
Yes.
Okay, I'll be with you in one minute.
Excuse me, are there any other hotels?
Nope. Take it or leave it
Sorry, no credit cards. Cash only.
Okay, can I help whoever is next?
Right here. I have cash.
This machine was built in 1970.
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska
The next year it enters the record books,
making an ascent straight up to 36,000 feet
in under six minutes.
That's a faster climb rate than an F-14 Tomcat.
So, my old girl here and her sister
will be pulling 75,000 pounds of hover barge
from here all the way to those three whales stuck off Point Barrow.
Now, the hover barge is 40 by 60 feet.
We have jet-fueled turbines.
These massive engines create a cushion of air right here,
underneath the barge.
And this causes the hover barge
to liftoff the ground four feet,
enabling us to move at will, pulverizing any ice in our path.
How long do you...
I'm sorry, we're going to get back to work now, if you don't mind.
Thank you. Thank you, sir.
Thanks, Colonel. Thank you.
If you went back 10,000 years, our ancestors would be
mending their umiak frame
right here, just like this.
You know they have motor boats now, right, Grandpa?
Oh, boy.
Look what I got, fresh off the cargo plane.
What? What are they?
The next phase in your training. Awesome.
Def Leppard, Hysteria. Rattle and Hum by U2.
And Guns N' Roses, Appetite for Destruction.
Wow! Thank you so much.
And for your Walkman.
Batteries. Yes.
I gotta go. I got batteries. I'll be right back.
If we all got that excited about batteries, right?
Hey, so you going to this Whaling Captains meeting tonight?
Seems like there's a lot riding on the outcome.
I put Roy in charge.
Roy?
Roy and Rachel, that's going to get ugly.
Malik, you know there's a lot of press here now.
And they don't understand your people,
or what it takes for you to survive.
We don't need them to understand us.
You may need them more than you think.
I have work to finish.
Okay.
Why won't you give us a chance to get them out?
I have a barge that's just days away,
but instead you want to kill a family?
A baby, for God's sake! For sport!
Hold on. It's what I feed my family.
And it's what we feed our babies.
The whale chooses the Whaler and they have chosen us.
The whale told you this?
Did it write you a letter?
"Dear Roy, I'd be honored if you would drag me up to the beach,
"harpoon me and slice me up."
Hold on, here. Hold on.
"Best wishes, the whale."
No, no.
What you're saying is ridiculous.
You're a white girl from out of town. You don't belong here!
This is Inupiat country.
Roy, every Inupiat gets a huge stipend
for the drilling rights to the oil for their land.
You can buy all the food that you want.
Rachel, we have to hunt!
One day, that oil's going to run out,
and when it does, the money will stop coming.
If we don't teach our children how to feed themselves,
they're going to starve.
And who's going to feed them then?
Are you?
Let's take a five-minute break.
Hey, guys. Hey, guys.
Guys. Listen to what I have to say.
You know the world has gotten bigger for us.
And the outsiders have taken away so much.
They move to our land.
They've even changed our way of life.
But we still survive, right?
Right.
But if we give them pictures of us killing those whales,
they could take away our rights to hunt.
And that would be our end.
But maybe that's why we need to fight them.
Make them understand that we respect and honor whales.
That the ocean is our garden.
And that the whales keep us alive.
All they will see is blood.
May I have your attention, please.
Attention, please.
The Whaling Captains of Barrow have decided
we're going to help free the whales!
Cardboard! Get your cardboard!
Is this seat taken?
Oh, man. What am I going to have this morning?
I usually do the Eight-Egg Breakfast Burrito, which is fantastic,
but the Pile-0-Pancakes with a side of ham steak is tempting.
What do you think I should get?
The name of a good cardiologist.
Nice.
I'm Adam Carlson, by the way.
I've been working up here for a few months and...
I broke the whale story.
So, you're the reason we're all here.
Guilty as charged.
I'm Jill Jerard.
KABC, Los Angeles. KABC, Los Angeles.
And before that, KPHX, Phoenix.
Yeah, how did you know...
I like to watch a lot of feeds from around the world.
It's sort of a thing that I do.
By the way, I loved that story you had on the Olympian.
The javelin thrower from Watts. Great!
Hey, Dana.
Do you know what you want? You better hurry
because we're running out of everything.
Yeah, what are you going to have? That's it?
No, you gotta eat. We're gonna have two number threes.
Thank you.
No, I'm on a very strict diet.
Fat ladies with oily skin don't report the news in Los Angeles.
If you don't have 10,000 calories today,
you won't last five minutes out there.
I won't eat 10,000 calories in a year.
And I don't have the cash.
It's fine. It's on me.
What was your name again?
And thank you again, Adam.
Yeah, absolutely. Go get them today.
Yikes! What am I, your coach?
Just have a good day. Okay.
Ride, 60 bucks! Rides!
Cardboard! Get your cardboard!
It's the best I could do.
It's okay. Thanks.
Let's find a ride.
Cardboard! Get your cardboard!
Hey! You want to buy some cardboard?
What?
Cardboard for sale.
Why would I need cardboard?
To stand on the ice. $20.
20 bucks?
Yeah.
No, thanks, kid. This is not my first rodeo.
Okay.
Adam?
Adam! Wait up!
Adam?
Hi. Hey.
Do you have room for two more?
Yeah, we're good, right, Pat? Sure.
Thank you. Terry, load it in.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Press have to find their own way out there.
Never heard that one before. Did you just make that up?
No. Everybody is doing it.
Come on, lady, help me out. Do it for the whales.
You don't care about the whales. You care about ratings.
Yeah, the ratings are what's going to keep the rescue going
which is going to save the whales.
She's right.
Rachel, I'd like you to meet Fred.
Hi, Fred.
And Wilma.
Good morning, Wilma.
You're beautiful.
And this is Bamm-Bamm.
Hi, Bamm-Bamm.
Wait, isn't Pebbles Fred and Wilma's kid?
Yeah, but Pebbles was also a girl. So...
He looks hurt.
They've been taking a beating out here.
Be careful!
Rachel...
Rachel... Rachel!
These guys have volunteered to be out here
in conditions that no one else would survive,
so just go easy.
Malik, you remember Rachel Kramer.
Greenpeace.
Mmm-hmm.
How's it going?
They seem to be used to the sound of the saw,
but the little one is having trouble navigating now.
Sometimes hitting the side.
Well, has anyone been down there yet?
No, and no one is going to go down there.
Why not?
Because grays can take out 10,000-pound killer whales
with one swipe of their fluke if they feel threatened.
It would be suicide.
Well, Pat, we have a big, big problem.
Stretching for miles and dropping like a wall
straight to the bottom of the ocean, this massive ice
blocks any path the whales might take to freedom.
An ice-blasting hover barge is on the way,
but who knows if it will get here in time
as this icy barrier, known as a pressure ridge,
thickens by the hour.
Anticipating its arrival,
Eskimo scouting teams are anxiously looking for a weak spot
along this seemingly impenetrable wall of ice.
Kelly Meyers.
Yes. I'll be right in.
Your whale story is just reminding voters
that we've got a lousy environmental record.
It's killing the Vice President on the campaign trail.
Then helping these whales might be our last best chance
to change that perception around.
My job is to help the VP get elected
while buffing our legacy to a mirror shine before we leave office.
Right?
Do you really think that we can get involved in this rescue,
make it a success that we can sell,
and not do anything to embarrass the President?
Yes, I do.
All right, then get to it, Meyers.
Okay. All right.
What? Colonel!
They need you inside!
The White House is on the phone!
Tell them I'll call them back!
Sir?
Kid, I've got two helos about to pull something bigger than my own house
that, if not done correctly, sends me and the other chopper
spiraling to the ground in stereophonic explosions.
Unless that's the President himself, I got bigger fish to fry!
Take a number, I'll call them back!
You ready to do this?
You were kidding about the stereophonic explosion thing, right?
I'd say there's about a 60-40 chance that won't happen.
You want to find out? Time to rock and roll.
It was predicted
the whales would not last more than two days.
The Eskimos have set up a protective triangle
around the trapped whales.
At the ready with their high-powered rifles
in case polar bears decide to get too close.
Today, the rescue continues in earnest,
amidst 20-below temperatures and...
Cut, cut. God, my feet are numb.
These boots are useless.
Hey, kid? Yeah?
You still got that cardboard?
I sold it to that guy.
But I can still get more.
All right. Come here.
It's 40 now.
You're kidding.
Shipping and handling.
Shipping and...
And it's not my first rodeo either.
I made another sale.
Nice one.
All right. Hot coffee. Got to drink quick, though.
Thank you. All right.
What are those guys doing?
Excuse me.
What are you doing?
You're not going down there. You heard Pat.
It's too dangerous.
She's getting in. Follow me.
Rachel...
You don't get a say in what I do anymore.
Oh, that's very mature.
All right. Is she in frame?
I'm just going to... No, I'm not.
Great.
What's she doing?
Her job.
I like her makeup.
I'm pretty sure it was tested on animals.
Okay, okay. Will you just stop?
You don't even have a safety diver.
Then I'm only risking my own life.
There's a big surprise.
You don't listen to what anybody else thinks.
You just do whatever you want to do, right?
Yeah.
And you wonder why we're not dating anymore.
Would you just wait a second?
Rachel? Rachel!
Damn it.
I knew something was wrong with Bamm-Bamm.
And I told you not to go in the water.
That was caught around Bamm-Bamm's fluke.
It's probably why Fred and Wilma
had to keep helping it to the surface.
But netting from where?
Could have come in from anywhere.
Those oceans are so polluted, I'm shocked I didn't find an old tire
wrapped around one of its fins.
Maybe cutting him loose will help him bounce back a little.
You're totally welcome, by the way.
That's it.
Damn, this thing's a beast.
Believe me...
No, wait. Hold a second. All right, ready?
Believe me, if the oil were above the ground,
it'd make my life a whole lot easier, but it's not.
But that does not mean we don't care about God's creatures
just as much as anybody.
Yeah, that's good. All right.
Hey, you make sure you get lots of good footage
with me and those big fish.
I just bought us a load of Super Bowl ads.
When the public sees the Alaska Northern logo,
I want them thinking, "Friend of the Environment," all right?
Last chance, cardboard?
No? Have a nice day.
Half price, only $10.
No, I'm okay.
Okay.
You look like you need a... Mmm-mmm.
Okay.
I only sold a couple of pieces, Grandpa.
And the people are asking for them.
So, what's the big deal?
Come with me for a minute. Okay?
Kneel down, right there.
What?
Kneel down right there. Come on.
Put your ear on the ice.
Come on, listen.
You hear them?
The mother is speaking to the little one.
Her calls are calm, gentle.
Soothing.
Do you hear her?
Mmm-hmm.
What do you think she is trying to tell her baby?
What you said.
Excuse me!
I seem to have lost three whales around here.
Anybody see them?
Anybody?
All right. Let's take a look at these critters.
Hello, down there!
Anybody home?
Did you see that?
Do it again, I dare you!
And the plight of these whales represents so much more
than them being trapped in the ice.
Soon, the water itself is going to be a threat to us all.
In 15 years, the biggest business in the US
is going to be bottled water
because we're not going to want to touch the tap stuff.
And enjoy your fish now
because soon the mercury content
will make it too dangerous to eat.
So, if you want tremors and babies born with terrible...
What?
Congratulations, 10 million people just changed the channel.
Well...
Come on, Rachel.
Nobody on the earth cares more about these whales than you do.
So, tell people about it. You were down there.
What's Bamm-Bamm like?
Or, to be honest, why do we care about whales this much at all?
I mean, what if they were deer or lizards or something?
Because even though they are strong and big, and powerful,
they're vulnerable, too.
And it just makes you wish that you were Superman,
and you could just scoop them up and bring them somewhere safe.
And what's heartbreaking
is they know what's going on.
They know they're in trouble and they're scared.
And we ache for them because they're so much like us.
We get scared and we're vulnerable,
and we need help sometimes, too.
Better?
Much.
Those three California gray whales
trapped in the Arctic ice off Alaska
are no nearer to freedom tonight.
I don't understand.
Can't you just patch me through to the helicopter?
Okay, when he returns, please have him call.
Thank you.
The whales' only real hope of escape
is the unusual hover barge en route from Prudhoe Bay.
The size of a hockey rink,
the barge uses tons of compressed air to push down the ice,
cracking, then demolishing it.
The hover barge is expected to arrive in 48 hours.
Colonel?
These are from the White House. They need a progress report.
Great.
Now all I need is some actual progress to report.
Kelly Meyers.
Yes, ma'am, this is Colonel Scott Boyer of the Alaska National Guard.
I'm told you called a few times.
Yeah, just a few.
Colonel, we'd like to set up a call for you with the President tomorrow.
Yes, ma'am. The President?
It'll take just a couple of minutes. He'll thank you for your work.
He'll reiterate the administration's support, and...
I can't really commit to a time.
You can't find five minutes for the President of the United States?
I'm trying to crack a pretty tough nut up here.
If I can nail down a time, I'll let you know before 0900 Alaska Standard.
Okay.
Colonel Boyer.
Are you always so formal?
Do you know how to speak like a normal person?
Like, when your mother asks you if you liked the cookies that she sent,
do you say "Roger that"?
Damn, no, I'm sorry. I...
It's okay to lighten up a little bit.
Here, why don't we just start over?
Yes, ma 'am.
Hi, I'm Kelly.
Hi, I'm Colonel...
I'm Scott.
And I'm exhausted.
The saga of the three whales trapped by Arctic ice
and the heroic efforts of rescuers to save them grew more desperate today.
The whales are fatigued by their efforts to survive,
and one of them, the baby of the family,
affectionately known as Bamm-Bamm,
may be seriously ill.
You hear that? It's not good.
Sounds like an old man.
Sounds like pneumonia.
Where is that damn barge?
Yes, I'm ready for the call. Patch him through.
Your controls.
My controls.
Yes. Hello, Mr. President.
Yes, sir, it's going very well, sir. Very well.
We're making steady progress.
Thank you, sir.
Just happy to be part of such an important operation, sir.
Yes, sir.
Okay. Goodbye, Mr. President.
I just spoke to President Reagan.
I noticed you didn't mention we've only moved this freaking barge 20 feet.
My controls.
Your controls.
Today the whales' plight
officially became a national affair.
We're very proud of all of you
and what you're doing up there.
Nice job, Meyers.
Meanwhile, the whales' situation
becomes more dire with each passing day.
With weather conditions deteriorating,
a brutal cold front could easily seal their fate in a matter of days.
In Northern Alaska, ice is always the enemy.
It's a great idea.
No, it's not. It's stupid.
Well, the people in Barrow don't think so.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Oh! You spoke with the people in Barrow, did you?
Yes, I did, and they're waiting for us.
This is ridiculous.
I don't even know why we're having this conversation.
Why shouldn't we go?
Because
we got to pay my father back the money
he loaned us to build these things.
If I take off time from work to go up to Alaska for some whales,
that ain't going to happen!
This whale thing could be the publicity we've been looking for.
You know how well those things worked up at Moose Lake.
They thawed Ed Maura's party boat right out!
Give me a break, all right? That's down here.
It's not up at the North Pole, for Pete's sake.
Ice is ice, Dean. This is our moment.
One day, I'm telling you, there is going to be a plaque right up on that wall
reminding everyone that this was the day we took our shot
and we showed the world what the Hootkin 450 could do!
Hi! Are you the brave men going up to save the whales?
Yes. Yes, we are.
That's not going to be enough.
Yikes.
I really have you up on the ropes, and you come out with "soil."
I have to get back out on the ice.
But first, I'm going to clean your clock.
I got a news flash for you, Cocky McGee.
I've been working on my two-letter words, okay?
I'm dangerous.
Okay, I hate to do it to you, but...
Oof!
"Zipper."
Triple-letter and 38 points.
Oh, man! You got to go.
Okay, hold on.
I got something for you.
What's this?
Guns N' Roses, Sweet Child 0' Mine. Play it for Bamm-Bamm.
It sounds just like his mom, because Axl Rose sings like a whale.
You know how he's like...
It's so high.
That's pretty true to life, actually.
Thank you.
You really care about those whales, don't you?
No, it's my grandfather who worships them.
He has a whole bunch of prayers about them and everything. It's weird.
So, what do you say?
Thirty bucks and I'll lend you the magic of Guns N' Roses for 24 hours.
Okay, Gordon Gekko, we get it. Nice try, though.
Do you know that when you don't show up for your grandmother
I get in trouble?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know that, right?
This woman has a knife collection that...
I'll see you guys tomorrow?
Yeah, see you tomorrow.
Okay, bye.
He really looks up to you.
Are you surprised?
He just needed a friend, I think.
Plus, he's pretty cool.
And I'm pretty cool, so maybe I just needed a friend.
You shouldn't let them take advantage of you.
Who's that?
The reporters you're sucking up to.
Well, I'm not... Not sucking up.
Hey, you know what?
I'm not one of your endangered critters that needs saving.
So, thanks, anyway.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean...
The temperature is dropping so fast out there.
You know what?
My head just isn't in this, and I should get back onto the ice.
I thought you said everything was taken care of!
How was I supposed to know there is only one place in this town to stay?
I don't know, Karl, maybe pick up a phone and call ahead, huh?
The Greenpeace lady from the TV!
Come on, grab your stuff there, Dean-0.
You'll see everything's going to be okay. Come on!
All right, hold on, now. Wait for me!
Hey, lady!
Hey!
Hey, miss! Greenpeace lady, miss!
Wait, please, miss.
I'm Karl. This is my brother-in-law, Dean.
We're up from the Twin Cities and we brought the amazing De-lcers!
What?
It keeps the ice off your boat when it's in dock.
So, we figured you could
use them to keep those whale holes from freezing over.
Yeah, you just give us the word and we'll head out to the whales.
You bet.
Look, I'm sure that you think your idea can help.
By now, we've heard everything,
but we've got it under control.
Hold on a second, lady!
So, you didn't know we were coming?
Sorry, no.
Oh, my God.
Malikl
You need to see this!
Festive.
No, no,no.
I am doing a really good job and I'm not leaving
just because now this is a lead story, and you want it!
You want to play in the big leagues, Jill?
Sometimes you have to sit on the bench,
and let the heavy hitters bring it on home.
There's a ticket waiting for you at the airport.
I'll be keeping your cameraman with me.
Good luck with your "cat in a tree," Wes!
Are you Mexican?
Only at work.
Son of a...
I hope you fall into the whale hole, you jackass.
Pat, I'm just headed back now.
I needed to see if you needed anything from town.
Over.
No. We are in big trouble out here, Rach.
The temperature has dropped through the floor.
The guys can't keep the hole open.
We can't keep up with the ice. I think this is it.
What?
You going to eat that ja-lapeno?
It's "jalapeño."
You don't pronounce the
Are you going to eat it?
Why can't you admit that you're a jerk?
I'm a jerk? Why?
Because!
Hey.
Do those things that you brought here really work?
Yeah.
The Hootkin 450 will turn a hockey rink into a swimming pool
faster than you can say "Minnesota North Stars!"
Says so right on the box.
Well, you guys better not be lying.
Come on!
Hi.
That's it?
That's our Hail Mary?
It's a table fan and a box top!
This table fan is your...
Jeez, look at that. Look at that whale.
Don't worry about it, okay? These things are going to work great!
I hope.
It's frozen.
Thirty seconds on the ice and it's already seized up!
It's not a big deal. There are plenty of great stories in LA.
We don't do great stories!
No one does.
And no one would watch them even if we did.
Do you know that there are at least 30 wars going on
around the world, as we speak?
Yeah. Of course you don't.
Because there are no reporters there to tell you about them
because they're all here covering three stupid whales!
Look at what they've done to me.
I'm just a smelly, drunk,
depressed Barbie.
No, no, of course not. You...
Do you know what?
Maybe this is my wake-up call.
Okay.
If this is what reporting is all about,
I don't want any part of it.
What would you do?
I don't know. Maybe be a teacher.
Adam, it's Rachel. Come in.
Hey, Rachel, can you give me a second?
I'm kind of in the middle of something.
Adam, we need a generator!
There's got to be one at your station.
If we don't get it in the next few minutes, the whales are dead.
Now, start it up inside
and keep it running until you get to the SAR hangar.
Adam, do you roger that?
Yeah, I got it.
I'm just saying, grab a camera and some equipment
while you're in there.
It'll take two seconds. I need you to be my cameraman.
Jill, this is about the whales.
And, by the way, what happened to your wake-up call?
Five minutes ago, you were going to be a school teacher.
Since things have slowed with the rescue...
You're no different than I am.
You want to move up just as badly.
This story is our chance, Adam.
It fell into your lap, but it landed you on national television!
What's happening out there on the ice right now, Adam,
that's our story.
No, it's everyone's story.
Do you think that if they had the scoop, they would give it to you?
We are being handed the ticket to where we both want to go.
Don't throw it away.
The people will spend the next two months in total darkness.
What happened? What the hell?
Okay.
No way! There's about a million FAA regs against that.
Shut it off, or we don't go.
It'll freeze. This is the only way.
Pat! We'll all be unconscious in five minutes.
That's not what you want from your pilot.
What if we just leave all the doors open and let all the air out?
You're joking, right?
Fine!
But there's a pretty good chance we're going to freeze to death.
Seventy below? That can't be right.
Feels pretty right.
But wait, if we're going 100 knots,
then that makes our wind chill at about...
Are you all right?
Are you okay? Are you all right?
My eye is frozen shut!
What? I can't see out of my eye!
What do I do?
I have a pocket knife. I could cut it open, like in Rocky.
No! No cutting or ripping!
Okay, okay, okay-
Okay, you know what? Just keep her steady.
What are you doing?
I'm going to lick your eye!
Nobody's licking my eye!
Listen to me! No!
Stay calm! No!
You're not going to lick my eye!
Yeah? Yeah.
Yeah? Yeah!
All right!
Now whatever you do, you don't blink!
Yeah!
That got a little weird!
Whoo!
Oh, God.
YOU got it?
Let's go to the other side of the ice.
Get the shot looking back.
Right here.
In three, two...
Okay.
The temperature, minus 50. The situation, critical.
The three mighty leviathans, a family on the brink.
With ice, aggressive and merciless,
easily outpacing the heroic rescuers struggling to clear it,
their only hope now, one last ditch effort
by two mystery men from Minnesota
and their homemade de-icing machines.
You ready?
Yeah!
It's safe, right? They're not going to get electrocuted?
Good question.
Okay.
Yeah.
Is this going to work?
Hell if I know, Rachel.
I'll take the Breakfast Burrito.
All right. That will come with a side of reindeer sausage.
Mine won't.
Okay.
From panicked to playful.
The hum of motors inside these strange boxes
is the sound of salvation.
For, in dramatic fashion,
these odd machines have turned what might have been
a dark, watery Arctic grave into a bubbling Jacuzzi.
How the hell did they get that story?
This is Jill Jerard with Adam Carlson, Barrow, Alaska.
Well, I was just doing my job, but I'm glad that you enjoyed it, Ed.
Peter Jennings said that?
It's going national.
Yes, sir.
He is. He's right here.
My producer wants to talk to you.
Adam Carlson.
Thank you, sir.
Well, we were...
I've actually been in Alaska for four years, now.
Before that, I...
Yes.
I would absolutely love to send you my reel.
Thank you, sir.
Yeah.
Thank“.
Oh, my God.
We make a pretty good team.
I think we do. I think we do.
My absolute favorite whale is the mommy, Wilma,
because she's a gentle mommy that loves and cares for her cute little baby.
And that must mean she has a big heart.
She also has big lungs.
I mean, look how long she can stay underwater.
And she's huge!
I hope they make it to freedom.
Thank you, Shayna,
for the seventh report about the whales today.
Who would like to talk about something else?
All right.
Who wants to do the next report on the whales?
Who will win in Alaska, the ice or the whales?
Experts now fear for Bamm-Bamm...
You have a phone call, Mr. McGraw.
Here we go.
Thank you.
Hey.
McGraw.
Hello, Colonel. How are you doing?
We're all waiting for you up here.
It what?
We have just received news
that the hover barge will not be arriving in Barrow.
Not now, not ever.
The massive craft careened into an Arctic pothole,
even bigger than the barge itself,
nearly causing a midair collision between the two sky cranes
tasked with pulling it
Colonel, why didn't you tell the President
how badly the rescue was going when he called?
Did you deliberately mislead your Commander in Chief?
Ma'am, we took on a monumental challenge
in a difficult work environment.
Our immediate goal was the delivery of the barge
and now it's obvious that we lost that battle.
But there's still a mission to complete.
The National Guard isn't going to stop fighting until those whales are free.
Thank you.
We all tried our hardest. I'm proud of you guys.
I want you to clear out.
Go find yourself some chow. Thank you, gentlemen.
Those guys set me up.
This is the worst day of my life!
You know, they can take that out of your pay.
Kelly?
I was in the neighborhood.
If I'd known you were this pretty,
I would have returned that first phone call of yours right away.
So, does my Commander in Chief have a Plan B, by any chance?
I was hoping you'd have one for us.
We need to make a path out to the open water.
Otherwise, the whales will die here waiting.
Let's start cutting holes every 60 feet.
But what makes you think they're going to follow our path?
We have no choice but to try.
The struggle to save three gray whales took an unexpected turn
as local Eskimos began the daunting task
of cutting a path of breathing holes, five miles long.
Their hope, to lure the whales to open water.
There appears to be no other option for the trapped whales
and to many, the Eskimos' audacious plan seems insane.
But with a few chainsaws and a prayer,
hopefully, these three unfortunate giants will be free again soon.
Mr. President, I was assured by Alaska Northern
that the barge was a viable option.
We're doing all we can to minimize your exposure on this thing.
Uh-huh.
Sir, the press has been all over us about some Soviet icebreaker.
We told them it's a no-go.
No, maybe we should consider it.
Gorbachev's been telling us to trust him on this glasnost thing.
This might be a good first step.
Well, I like Mr. Gorbachev
but I am not ready to play the trust card.
Not for this.
Gentlemen, if you'll excuse me, please.
Ladies and gentlemen,
the President of the United States.
USSR Admiral Arsenyev, Bering Sea
The only available icebreaker within navigable distance
belongs to the Soviets.
The Presidential candidates are weighing an opinion.
The Dukakis camp is giving indications that this is a perfect...
How much you want to bet they'll call?
How much?
Fifty rubles.
A hundred...
...and bubble gum.
Bubble gum it is.
Why aren't they moving?
They can't leave until the baby's better.
The US Government is not going to let
a Russian icebreaker come and save the day.
Neither am I.
Who knows if they would even come?
Please, they'd all come for the same reasons that you're doing this.
Good PR.
Excuse me, young lady, but this is no PR stunt.
I'm in for $2 million for gas and equipment.
And I care about those whales, just as much as you do.
Maybe even more so.
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
It means that J.W. is spending his money,
while you're making it hand over fist.
Yeah, thank you. Thank you.
Don't act like you're not piling up on the donations.
Well, we're going to need every penny
to fight what you and your boss
have done to the environment over the last eight years.
Excuse me, I couldn't hear you
over the sound of the booming economy and massive job creation.
At the expense of everything else.
Okay. All right.
And that's why you're here, right?
To erase the embarrassing parts
of your record that's not playing out too well on the campaign trail.
No, she's here to represent the President of the United States
and so am I.
And if Washington puts a little extra funding in your budget as a thank you...
I'd be careful if I were you, miss.
Guys? Guys, the whales. Let's get back to the whales.
That's why we're here.
It sounds like the only viable option is to call in the Soviets.
No. No, it's not!
I cannot recommend that to the President.
It's not going to work.
You think I like calling the Soviets?
They're some of the worst whalers in the world.
And now they're going to come in here
and look like environmental heroes.
But, as much as we hate it,
Greenpeace is willing to shut our mouths and let them.
Well, I'm not.
I'll be damned if I'm going to let those Reds come in here and save the day.
It's not going to happen!
That's right.
Then those whales are going to die.
Right there in front of the cameras.
And when the weeping schoolchildren
and the heartsick men and women of this country look for someone to blame...
And they always do, right?
They're going to ask the nice, trustworthy lady at Greenpeace.
And I'm going to tell them that
Ronald Reagan killed those whales.
Goodbye legacy.
Goodbye George Bush election.
Goodbye to everything that you three came here to do.
Can you recommend that to the President?
Gorby, it's Ronny.
Capitan.
Vladivostok Base to icebreaker Admiral Arsenyev.
Stand by to receive transmission of new orders...
Steer course to 160.
You know this could end very badly.
The sea is freezing over. If we don't act fast...
...we're going to be trapped with those whales.
A theme that dominated today's episode of the trapped whales
was "The Russians are coming."
And now the Soviet Union has actively joined the effort
to save the whales still trapped in the ice off Alaska.
Tonight, there's a new twist to this drama.
The Soviet Navy is now sending reinforcements to help the Americans...
The stage now is set for a climax to this long suspense story.
Everyone involved seems to be planning for one final push
no matter what it costs.
The Soviet Icebreaker hopes to vanquish
the massive pressure ridge at the ocean's edge.
The ship can't go any further
as the shallow depths would cause it to run aground.
The burden of getting the whales to the ridge
falls to a cock-eyed coalition of whale hunters and whale lovers
who must carve a path in record-time
and pray the whales follow their lead.
I think it's very courageous of the Gipper to extend his hand to the Soviets
and let them help out like this.
That's all.
Anyway, we got five miles of holes to cut, so we can't waste any time.
By God, we can do it.
It's do or die!
It's bottom of the ninth!
It's fourth and goal! Right?
It's down by two and one second on the clock!
That's what it is. It's like, you know, one minute...
Just give him a cheer so we can get on with it.
Exactly. Exactly.
Guardsmen, we're on the move!
Come on! Let's go!
Come on! That's it.
It's going to be okay, Bamm-Bamm.
The ice-smashing cold war comrades
will arrive within a day, but won't stay long
as the brutal Beaufort Sea's frozen waters
will soon become impassable.
The Red rescuers will have just one Hail Mary shot
at breaking through the pressure ridge.
Wait. What's happening?
What are they upset about?
I think they're getting ready to move.
They are moving.
Okay.
Dean, Karl, de-icers! Let's go! As quickly as possible!
Ease back, everybody. Do not crowd the holes!
Which one is it?
Bamm-Bamm? Where's Bamm-Bamm?
He's not coming up.
Where is he?
He's just a baby and he's confused. He'll come up.
Pat, I don't see him.
Just give him a minute.
I don't see him. He's always right here.
He's down here. Where is he?
He's gone.
What?
The other two were protecting him,
but he could no longer hold on.
Bamm-Bamm is dead.
No.
Come on. Come on, surface.
Come on, Bamm-Bamm.
No, he's going to come up.
Oh, my God.
On me in three, two, one. Adam, where you going?
He's going to come up.
Come on, Bamm-Bamm, surface.
It's our job to report the story,
not become emotionally involved.
Pick up the camera, let's go!
Come on, Bamm-Bamm. Surface.
We can't let him die. We can't!
We should have started earlier.
We didn't do enough. No, no,no.
This is nobody's fault.
Listen, there are going to be things that happen
that neither you or anyone else can do anything about.
You got to stop.
Just stop fighting.
That baby is gone.
And you can't change that.
Amen.
One of three whales trapped in the ice near Barrow, Alaska,
has not surfaced since yesterday.
The whale, nicknamed Bamm-Bamm, is now presumed dead.
Rescuers say Bamm-Bamm's mother and father
refused to leave their baby's side, until the very end.
To the little one.
Whoa, whoa!
Miss Kramer? Excuse me.
Ma'am, I know how much you wanted to save that baby.
And him dying, I'd be lying if I told you it didn't hurt like hell.
But I just want you to know
that we all give you the lion's share of credit around here.
Because if it weren't for you,
all three of those whales would be dead now.
And I promise you we're going to save the other two,
no matter what it takes.
You're not as easy to hate as I thought.
Neither are you.
Still doesn't change the way I feel
about you trying to open up the Arctic Wildlife Refuge for drilling.
Young lady, it doesn't change how I feel about it, either.
The clock continues to tick down
as crews furiously work to cut a path to the open ocean.
A herculean task...
Cut. Arnold, you have to hold the camera straight.
The camera's facing the ground. You got to keep it up.
I'm sorry. Let's go again.
If the whales or the Soviets don't arrive at the exact...
The town of Barrow has shut down
as schoolchildren and shopkeepers alike
answer the call to help out on the ice in any way they can.
Those not cutting holes are providing hot food and coffee.
...with the Soviets racing across the sea...
...the whales are now within a mile of the ridge.
This is hole 425!
That's over 30 holes an hour, in one solid day.
It's incredible!
We really did it.
They could've told us it was so big.
Maybe this wasn't such a great idea.
Slow ahead 10 knots.
Very well.
That's big.
It hardly made a dent.
Let's go again.
Stand by.
Attention.
Attention. This is Icebreaker Admiral Arsenyev.
The ship is going to hit the ice again.
Everybody move away from the ridge.
Please move back, everyone.
Fall back, men. Fall back!
Stop engine.
They're swimming away!
It's the vibration!
Oh, no. No!
Stop!
No, no,no!
There's nowhere left for them to go!
The old holes are frozen over!
Come back!
We could have structural damage.
We go again.
No. It's too dangerous.
They've been under there too long, Rachel.
We did enough.
30 knots.
Full ahead.
Oh, my Lord. That Ruskie's crazy.
Careful. Careful.
Do you see them?
Come on, you bastards, surface!
Fred.
You know what? I'm going to miss them.
After the rescue,
everyone from the outside left our little edge of the world
and went on with their lives.
Mr. McGraw used his new eco-friendly reputation
to land one of the biggest contracts in Alaskan history
cleaning up all that crude oil
spilled by the Exxon Valdez.
To the Valdez, the gift that keeps on giving.
Two out of three... ...Arctic whales agree.
Nothing could be nicer...
...than a Hootkin brand De-lcer.
Karl and Dean became local celebrities back in Minnesota
and their de-icer business took off.
It's Arctic-proven, don't you know?
Colonel Boyer and Kelly Meyers fell in love.
They got married on August 12th, 1989.
And they spent their entire honeymoon down in Baja,
watching the whales.
It only took three more stations,
but Jill Jerard finally made it to a national news network.
So, Joey, you've denied the affair.
You say Amy Fisher was just obsessed with you.
Mary Jo, are there doubts in your mind about Joey's claim?
Thanks to Fred, Wilma and Bamm-Bamm,
Greenpeace membership increased by over 400 %.
Go easy on the copy machine because,
after all, it's being held up by duct tape.
Is everything okay?
Yeah.
I thought you were supposed to be at a job interview in Pittsburgh.
I canceled it. I had something else I had to do.
I don't like the robe.
Okay.
See, I knew I was going to hurt your feelings.
No, honesty is important.
Good, because honestly,
you drive me crazy.
And...
I can't imagine my life without you.
Adam got offers from all over the lower 48,
but he turned them down to stay in Anchorage.
He told me,
"The biggest stories happen in the least likely places."
And now, here's Sarah Heath with tonight's sports.
Not just Iditarod news tonight, right?
Right. There was some good college basketball today.
I'm going to show you highlights,
plus tell you all about that, next.
Stay right there.
Nathan? Yeah.
Me and my grandfather spend a lot of time together now.
He and the rest of my people
never stopped laughing at the huge fuss the crazy outsiders made.
But sometimes, I think about the whales
and that hole in the ice where we first found them,
and how it kept getting bigger and bigger
until it let the whole world in.
It happens every so often, an animal's dilemma
captures the public imagination and continues to hold onto it.
Those three California gray whales
trapped in the Arctic ice off Alaska...
We bid the value of all the wildlife you're putting at risk.
And since you've refused to read them,
we'll go ahead and read them for you.
What is it that's brought you to this site
to do all of this work?
I think it's the same as with most people
that have a real good feeling about whales...
I just told my wife, I said, "We can open that hole up for them."
Well, the purpose was to keep the water open
and it almost looks like we've got something else going here.
The whales seem to really like them.
That must make you feel very good.
Yes, it does.
Well, this whole project is a real long shot, you know.
There's no use pretending that this is a foregone conclusion
that we're gonna get these guys out of here.
If the weather...
They're spitting all over us.
You have to remember that everything we've done,
it's been done for the first time.
So any progress at all is a pioneering and new area.
And there is still the worry that the ice pack could close in
and that there would be no open water for the whales to swim to.
Don Oliver, NBC News, Point Barrow, Alaska.
The only available Icebreaker. ..
A man obviously passionate about his role in this stirring rescue.
In his voice, this reporter hears the unmistakable sounds
of a 40-year cold war beginning to thaw.
So, all this is rather interesting.
When you've seen these magnificent animals
up close like I have, Larry,
you come to know that indomitable American spirit
that lives within them.
Thanks very much for joining us tonight.
We'll be back with Arsenio Hall.
Ice is freezing the Beaufort Sea
more quickly than usual for this time of year.
And three gray whales, two adults and their baby,
are now trapped in walls of ice, six inches thick.
And I'll be back with an exclusive report.
Time is running out for the whales trapped in the ice in Alaska...