Hopes rise that whales in Florida stranding may have swum out to sea

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/dec/08/whales-florida

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Wildlife officials have said that after losing sight of a pod of whales that was stranded in the Florida Everglades, they are ceasing rescue efforts.

The National Park Service says aerial and boat survey teams could not locate the whales on Saturday, a potentially encouraging sign that they have moved farther offshore.

The pod of short-finned pilot whales was first spotted by a fishing guide on Tuesday, in the waters off a remote section of the Everglades. Six were found dead the next day and four others were euthanised. Another dead whale was confirmed Thursday.

The short-finned pilot whale is one of the most common species involved in mass strandings. While authorities are hopeful the whales are headed back to the deeper, colder waters that form their natural habitat, they cannot say for sure.

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