A rescue operation has been underway for two days in Kamchatkain the Russian Far East, to free a family whales which jutted out in the shallows into its sea Okhotskthe Ministry of Emergency Situations reported today of Russia.

Workers at the Kamchatka rescue center went to the place where the orcas are trapped. “With the help of volunteers, we wet them so they don’t get dehydrated,” explained a representative of this center in a post on Telegram, Alexander Borisov.

This morning the family, two newborn whales and two adults, tried to escape from the bay where it is stranded, but failed, Borisov said.

“Soon the tide will come. We hope the orcas will find a way to get back out into the open,” Borisov added.

According to the Russian official, the mammals were unable to escape because “the passage was too narrow.” They are currently 2km from the ‘exit’ to the open sea.

About 30 people are involved in the rescue operation.