Marine mammal rescuers continued to work Friday afternoon to nurses the remaining few pilot whales back to health that were stranded in shallow waters off the lower Florida Keys.
Of the 18 whales who were stuck in the water, 11 have died, officials said.
"These guys are really weak now," said Robert Lingenfelser, head of stranding operations for the Marine Mammal Conservancy. "They haven't eaten in a while, so one of our jobs is to get them re-hydrated and ready for the next step of eating."
The surviving whales are in stable but guarded condition and are currently corralled in a temporary sea pen. Veterinarians are providing medical evaluations.
The whales were discovered stranded Thursday afternoon in three separate areas in shallow Gulf of Mexico waters near Cudjoe Key.
Experts believe the whales are all apart of the same pod.
Officials hope to eventually relocate any surviving whales to MMC's rehabilitation facility in Key Largo. Any whales deemed healthy enough will be transported to deeper waters and released, officials said.
