Fifty-one short-finned pilot whales found themselves stranded in the shallow waters in Florida’s Everglades National Park, unable to get back out to see.

Whales Straded In Florida's Everglades

Since the pod of whales was discovered Wednesday afternoon, 10 have died – four of which were euthanized by biologists. The remaining 41 whales will have to traverse 20 miles of shallow water and sandbars to get out to a safe distance with a depth suiting their lifestyles.

Marine biologists from Marine Mammal Conservancy, Marine Animal Rescue, Florida Fish and Wildlife and NOAA Fisheries reported to the scene of the stranded pilot whales on Wednesday to stage an effort to aid the animals back out to deeper waters. Attempts at herding the massive creatures have not been successful.

Scientists Unsure How To Get Whales To Safe Waters

There’s no definite reason for the whale’s presence in the shallow waters of the Everglades that’s discernible to the specialists, although there are a few possible explanations. “It could be disease, it be environmental issues, it could be [related to] human impact,” according to the NOAA’s Blair Mase.

"This is a very difficult situation," Mase added. "The outlook does not ultimately look good for the remaining live whales."

One of the reasons it’s difficult to get the whales to move away from the dangerous coastal area is that they like to stick together. If a few are sick and unable to follow, the rest likely won’t go anywhere either. “Sometimes, whales strand because they are sick. Sometimes they strand because they run out of water [or because of] parasites or other problems," said Liz Stratton from the Marine Mammal Stranding Network. She added, "Some of those animals might stay with their ill podmates rather than swim out to deeper waters.”

Adding to the difficulty of the scientists’ efforts is the 15-mile stretch in which the whales are stranded. The lengthy coastal area of the Everglades is an hour away from the closest boat dock and has no cell phone service, according to USA Today. The warm waters are also heavily populated by sharks.

– Chelsea Regan

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