(WFLA) – Five pilot whales were rescued Monday after getting lost in the Gulf.
Three of the whales were taken back out to the Gulf and are being monitored with satellite trackers. The other two were taken to Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s facility in Tarpon Springs to be monitored.
The majestic creatures had beached themselves in the shallow, warm Gulf waters off Redington Beach. Experts say the animals, most likely, lost the leader of their pod, then got lost in the Gulf.
A man out for a morning walk on Redington Beach got the shock of a lifetime when he discovered the whales in distress around 7 am Monday morning. After he called 911, a massive rescue mission was off and running. It was all hands on deck with dozens of volunteers, experts, scientists and onlookers hoping for a good outcome.
And, they got it.
All five whales, thanks to a ton of teamwork, are alive. Three of them were released back into the Gulf early Monday afternoon and are now being tracked via satellite by the experts at Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
Two other whales are currently at a facility in Tarpon Springs under 24-hour observation.
According to CMA, the animals were uninjured, but since they’re young, they needed some extra TLC before being released back in the Gulf. A spokesperson for CMA says the two were in need of hydration and calcium, which are being administered now. The two young males are said to be doing “great.”
Aquarium officials also tell 8 On Your Side they’ll continue monitoring the whereabouts of the three whales in the Gulf. The satellite trackers on the animals are providing GPS information. Marine experts say they hope the whales are swimming in the right direction, and not heading back to shore.
Once it is determined they reach a certain distance the two remaining whales will be reunited with the others.
“For us, it’s just another days work. But, it it’s also something we’ll be talking about for the next 50 years. This never happens, so this day was special. It’ll be hard to sleep tonight,” David Yates chuckled, as a wide grin crossed his face. “What a day. We live for moments like this.