More or less, yes.
Many news sources are incomplete. For the most direct account, see this report by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. This is a normally quite reliable news source. Some key elements missing in some reports. Firstly: they were trapped due to cormorants. Secondly: there is a concrete wall under the surface of the water. Quote and translation:
– 7–8 minusgrader og austavind gjorde at vågen frøs til i løpet av kort tid. Småseien var blitt jaget mot land av skarv, og har tydeligvis ikke klart å komme seg ut på åpent hav igjen, forteller Ingolf Kristiansen.
Aril Slotte, som er leder for Pelagisk fisk ved Havforskningsinstituttet, sier det ikke er uvanlig at sild blir jaget på land av predatorer.
– Vi vet at hvalen skremmer silda på land flere steder i Troms, så det er ikke utenkelig at dette kan skje med småsei og annen fisk som blir trengt opp mot land, sier han til NRK.no.
Translation:
7–8 degrees below zero and an easterly wind caused the bay to freeze very rapidly. The pollock had been chased toward the land by cormorants, and could apparently not get out to the open sea again, says Ingolf Kristiansen.
Aril Slotte, head of pelagic fish [group] at the Institute of Marine Research, says it is not unusual for herring to be chased onto the land by predators.
We know that whales scare herring toward the land on many places in Troms, so it is not unthinkable this can happen with pollock and other fish chased to the land, he says to NRK.no.
And, another important piece of information:
Om sommeren er vågen ei populær badevik. Det er bygd en betongmur under vann ut mot åpent hav slik at det bare er innsig av sjøvann når det flør.
Translation:
During summer, the bay is a popular bathing place. There is a concrete wall under the water toward the open sea, so that there is only seepage of water during high tide.
So, no, it didn't freeze incredibly fast — but the fish had been chased there by cormorants.
