The rush to save dozens of pilot whales continues off the coast of Fort Myers.
A pod came ashore over the weekend, and while most were able to go back into the Gulf of Mexico with the tide, eight of them didn’t make it.
Two of those whales are undergoing necropsies in Pinellas County. At the FWC lab, marine biologists are working to solve a mystery. They'd like to know why the pilot whales beached themselves.
Wildlife officials say so far, eight whales are dead.
"We're looking for any abnormalities, just checking the animal's fat content, if it was healthy," FWC biologist Andy Garrett said. "If it was not healthy, why that might be? We’ll see if it's been feeding recently, seeing if the organs look normal to us, and we'll also be sending out some samples for other experts to look at."
Experts say some of the whales are underweight and dehydrated. At the lab in St. Petersburg, a male, stretching 13 feet in length and weighing 1,600 pounds, might provide some clues as to why. Wildlife officials here will be examining a smaller female as well.
The two whales were euthanized after they were found stranded in Lover's Key.
It's an incident similar to one in the Florida Keys back in December, when dozens of pilot whales from another pod swam into shallow water.
Scientists will be comparing genetic samples to see if there's a connection.
Pilot whales live in deep water and typically make their home at least 20 miles off the coast. Experts say when the whales swim to shore, it can sometimes indicate toxicity or disease.
"Unfortunately pilot whales do mass-strand for reasons sometimes that we're unsure of," Garrett said. "Hopefully the information we get today from the necropsy can help us determine a little more about what's going on down there."
Could it be a tough-to-watch part of nature, or something else? It could take weeks, or even months, to get those answers.