Big Miracle (2012) Movie Script
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.
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 Nio,
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.
So, 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 lift off
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.
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-o-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
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.
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
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 o'
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-o.
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-Icers!
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.
Malik!
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 "jalapeo."
You don't pronounce
the "J."
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.
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.
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.
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-Icer.
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...
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.
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 Nio,
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.
So, 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 lift off
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.
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-o-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
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.
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
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 o'
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-o.
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-Icers!
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.
Malik!
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 "jalapeo."
You don't pronounce
the "J."
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.
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.
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.
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-Icer.
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...