More than 100 beluga whales could be trapped and die in a chain of lakes between the N.W.T. communities of Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk if they don't soon head to the ocean.

The whales are in the Husky Lakes, where they often feed in the summer. By fall, the whales usually head out a narrow channel that connects to the Arctic Ocean, and then continue west on their annual migration toward Russia.

Husky Lakes is located between Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk.

Fisherman Josh Gruben told CBC News he spotted the whales last week and they were swimming in the wrong direction — away from the ocean. He's afraid that if they don't leave within a few weeks, they'll be trapped as the lakes freeze over for the winter.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has flown over the whales twice and is keeping a close eye on their situation, said a departmental official, Andrea Cyr.

There is still a chance they will leave on their own, she told the CBC on Friday.

By fall, belugas normally migrate west towards Russia.
(CBC)

"The big thing is that we want to know if there becomes a chance that they aren't going to be able to leave," said Cyr.

"We may or may not be able to take any action about that so we want to know as much as possible about the situation."

If the whales don't leave on their own, the options include chasing the whales out to the ocean with boats or encouraging hunters to kill them before the lakes freeze up.