Wildlife workers are attempting to help "dozens" of whales stranded at a remote location of Everglades National Park, according to Reuters.
Whales were first seen at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 3 near Highland Beach. Less than 12 hours later four boats were on their way to try saving the whales where at least 10 were seen stuck on the beach.
Six pilot whales were dead by the time rescue workers reached them, and four had to be euthanized, according to Reuters.
About 45 more whales were confirmed stuck in shallow water, according to park officials.
"This area of the park is probably the most challenging for something like this. When the tide goes out, there's hundreds of yards of very shallow shoals," spokeswoman Linda Friar told the Reuters news service.
Adult Pilot whales weight up to 2,000 to 6,000 pounds, and usually travel in pods of up to 30.
Friar said it is not uncommon for pilot whales, which can grow up to 18 feet long, to get stranded.
"Pilot whales are common stranders. They tend to do this," Friar said, according to Reuters
Even after being rescued, Friar said pilot whales "they tend to rebeach themselves."
Workers are doing their best to save the stranded whales, but they're stuck in a location that takes over an hour to reach by boat from the nearest ramp. Many of the whales are also not cooperating.
"This scenario is very challenging because of where they are," said Blair Mase, the marine mammal stranding network coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in a statement, according to the Honolulu Star Advertiser.
The whales were found approximately 30 miles from their natural habitat, according to CNN. Officials have not been able to figure out what caused them to travel so far away.
The rescue effort could take 3 or 4 days to complete.
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