Story highlights Ten of the whales have died, with four euthanized because of their poor condition 
 
 A fishing guide sounded the alarm Tuesday after spotting the whales in distress 
 
 Such strandings are common, one whale expert says 
 
 "It's a largely, but not entirely, hopeless undertaking," says Phillip Clapham 
 
 The outlook for dozens of short-finned pilot whales stranded in shallow water off Florida's Everglades National Park "does not look good," wildlife officials said Wednesday. 
 
 "We want to set the expectations low" that the 41 remaining stranded whales can be saved, said Blair Mase, a marine mammal scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 
 
 The assessment came as the number of dead whales climbed to 10, including four euthanized by wildlife officials after being found in "poor condition," Mase said. 
 
 Wildlife officials are unsure how long the pod of whales has been stranded. Fishermen spotted the whales, several of which had beached themselves, on Tuesday night in a remote area accessible only by boat off the west coast of the Everglades, park spokeswoman Linda Friar said. 
 
 An attempt earlier in the day to herd the whales out of the park's remote Highland Beach failed. 
 
 Rescuers have been using five boats to create a blockade of sorts between the whales and the beach as part of the effort to keep them from beaching and simultaneously encouraging them to make their way back to the Gulf of Mexico, Friar said. 
 
 Wildlife officials believe that it took the pilot whales several days to travel the 20 miles from the deep waters where they typically make their home to the shallow beach area where they were found. 
 
 That area is blanketed with sandbars and sand flats. 
 
 "It's a very difficult situation" given the remote location and the terrain, Mase said. 
 
 JUST WATCHED Whales stuck in shallow Everglades Park Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Whales stuck in shallow Everglades Park 03:37 
 
 JUST WATCHED Pod of whales stranded in the Everglades Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Pod of whales stranded in the Everglades 02:53 
 
 Although there is a slight possibility the whales could swim out during high tide, Mase said, "I wouldn't set out hope for that." 
 
 "Even in high tide, you're going to have a series of sandbars and sand flats," she said. 
 
 Necropsies were being performed to try to determine why the pod carried out a mass stranding. 
 
 "At this point in time, we don't know why this particular group is stranding," Mase said. 
 
 In all, 25 people were involved in rescue efforts, including officials from NOAA, the Marine Mammal Conservatory and the Marine Animal Rescue Society, Mase said. 
 
 Mass strandings by pilot whales are not altogether uncommon in Florida. In 2012, nearly two dozen pilot whales stranded and beached themselves. In 2011, 23 pilot whales stranded and beached themselves. 
 
 Such strandings are common and occur in a variety of locations, said Phillip Clapham, director of the whale research program at the National Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle. 
 
 It's difficult to explain why any particular mass stranding occurs, but they tend to occur in areas where previous strandings have occurred, during low tide -- particularly those around the new and full moons, in areas dotted with sand bars and during storms. 
 
 The animals' cohesion can doom an entire group. "These are very, very social animals," Clapham said. "They remain together as family units. If the lead animal gets in trouble, probably everyone else is going to follow them and be in trouble." 
 
 Would-be rescuers have their hands full, he said, noting that the animals can weigh a ton apiece. "It's a largely, but not entirely, hopeless undertaking," he said. 
 
 Clapham noted that on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, where such strandings are routine events, rescuers have used cranes and a flatbed truck. But heavy equipment is not readily available in the remote area off the Everglades where the most recent stranding occurred. 
 
 No good estimates exist for how many pilot whales exist, but they are not endangered, he said. 
 
 "These events, while they're tragic, don't have any implications for the survival of the species." 

 Wildlife workers in boats struggled Wednesday to coax nearly four dozen pilot whales out of dangerous shallow waters in Florida's Everglades National Park, hoping to spare them the fate of 10 others that already have died. 
 
 Officials in boats monitor the scene where dozens of pilot whales are stranded in shallow water in a remote area of Florida's Everglades National Park, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) (Associated Press) 
 
 In this Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013, photo provided by the National Park Service, pilot whales are stranded on a beach in a remote area of the western portion of Everglades National Park, Fla. Federal officials... (Associated Press) 
 
 A dead pilot whale lies near the beach in a remote area of Florida's Everglades National Park, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013. Federal officials say 10 of the dozens of whales stranded in Florida's Everglades... (Associated Press) 
 
 A man paddles a kayak past two pilot whales in a remote area of Florida's Everglades National Park, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013. Federal officials say 10 of the dozens of whales stranded in Florida's Everglades... (Associated Press) 
 
 People stand on the beach where two dead pilot whales lie in the water in a remote area of Florida's Everglades National Park, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013. Nearly four dozen pilot whales are stranded in shallow... (Associated Press) 
 
 Six of the whales were found dead, and four of the whales had to be euthanized Wednesday, said Blair Mase, coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's marine mammal stranding network. At least three could be seen on the beach, out of the water. 
 
 The whales are stranded in a remote area near Highland Beach, the western boundary of Everglades National Park and about 20 miles east of where they normally live. It takes more than an hour to reach the spot from the nearest boat ramp and there is no cellphone service, complicating rescue efforts. 
 
 "We want to set the expectation low, because the challenges are very, very difficult," Mase said. 
 
 Park spokeswoman Linda Friar said rescuers were trying to surround the whales, which were in roughly 3 feet of salt water about 75 feet from shore, and herd them back to sea. 
 
 "They are not cooperating," Friar said. 
 
 Workers also tried to nudge the whales out to sea earlier in the day with no success. 
 
 The short-finned pilot whales typically live in very deep water. Even if rescuers were able to begin nudging the 41 remaining whales out to sea, Mase said they would encounter a series of sandbars and patches of shallow water along the way. 
 
 This particular whale species is also known for its close-knit social groups, meaning if one whale gets stuck or stays behind, the others are likely to stay behind or even beach themselves as well. 
 
 "It would be very difficult for the whales to navigate out on their own," Mase said. 
 
 Federal officials were notified about the whales Tuesday around 4 p.m. Because of the remote location, workers were unable to access the site before dark. They arrived Wednesday morning and discovered 45 whales still alive. 
 
 "There were some that were very compromised and in very poor condition," Mase said. 
 
 Four were euthanized with sedatives, and more could be put down Thursday if their condition deteriorates, Mase said. She described the remaining whales as swimming and mobile but said scientists don't know how long they have been out of the deep, colder water they are accustomed to and could be impacted by secondary consequences, such as dehydration. 
 
 "I don't think we have a lot of time," Mase said. 
 
 Necropsies were being done Wednesday on the deceased whales. Scientists will look for disease or other signs to indicate how whales got stuck in the shallow Everglades waters. 
 
 As workers tried to coax the animals to deeper water, at least one could be seen a few feet from shore floating upside down with its head bobbing up and down. Three to four more could be seen on the beach bleeding. 
 
 Twenty-two pilot whales became stranded in Florida's Avalon State Park in Fort Pierce in 2012. Residents, state and national officials attempted to rescue them, but only five could be saved. 
 
 "It's not uncommon," Friar said. "But it's not something that happens a lot." 
 
 Mase said NOAA was consulting with experts in different counties with experience in herding whales to see if there were other options, but said she was not optimistic. 
 
 "The outlook ultimately does not look good," she said. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Armario contributed to this report from Miami. 

 A total of 10 pilot whales have died and another 41 remain stranded in a remote area of Everglades National Park, officials said Wednesday. Rescue efforts were suspended after dark Wednesday, but were expected to resume Thursday morning. NBC 6’s Laura Rodriguez reports. (Published Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013) 
 
 A total of 10 pilot whales have died and another 41 remain stranded in a remote area of Everglades National Park, officials said Wednesday afternoon. 
 
 A team that arrived on the scene Wednesday morning found six whales dead, and they were forced to euthanize four through sedation as a humane option, NOAA Fisheries Southeast marine mammal stranding coordinator Blair Mase said. 
 
 Rescue workers who are trying to herd the whales out of shallow waters suspended their efforts after dark, but planned to return Thursday morning to resume the effort, according to NOAA Fisheries spokeswoman Kim Amendola. 
 
 10 Whales Dead, 41 Still Stranded 
 
 A total of 10 pilot whales have died and another 41 remain stranded in a remote area of Everglades National Park, officials said Wednesday afternoon. NBC 6's Ari Odzer reports. (Published Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013) 
 
 “The whales are about half a mile to three-quarters of a mile offshore, but they are not heading out to sea,” said marine mammal biologist Liz Stratton. “So we’re not sure what they’re doing, and we’re not sure if they’re not going to come back in the morning, unfortunately.” 
 
 Necropsies were being conducted Wednesday on the beached whales as scientists sought to determine their cause of death and find clues on why they ended up beached in the area. 
 
 The swimming whales do not show any signs of injury or trauma, but there is not a lot of time to save them, Mase said. The whales are out of their normal home range, and they may be dehyrdrated or malnourished, she added. 
 
 They are in Monroe County near Highland Beach, which is the western boundary of Everglades National Park. The closest deep water is about 20 miles west. In between are sandbars and channels that would be very difficult for the whales to navigate on their own. 
 
 Crews Try to Push Whales Into Deeper Waters 
 
 Crews on Wednesday tried to push a pod of beached pilot whales into deeper waters in efforts to save them. (Published Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013) 
 
 But efforts to herd the close-knit animals out of the area, which is about an hour from the nearest boat ramp, have not been successful so far. 
 
 “They’re freely swimming about. They’re a species that likes to stay together, and we’re just not able to get them to move away,” Everglades National Park spokeswoman Linda Friar said. 
 
 There will be a multi-day effort to rescue the animals that would last at least through Thursday and possibly Friday, Mase said. But she tried to set expectations low, saying that the goal was to save the whales, but most mass strandings do not have a successful outcome. 
 
 The goal is to keep the whales alive during low tide, and then when high tide comes in, crews will try to get them back into the sea, Friar said. 
 
 The whales are slightly larger than dolphins, Friar said. 
 
 Mase said that when the team returned from the remote location, its members would brief National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials on how to move forward Thursday. 
 
 Whales Stranded Near Everglades National Park 
 
 “So we are going to explore options for these animals. We are going to work hard to try to find out if we can save any, but we want to set the expectations low because the challenges are very, very difficult – the environmental challenges, the resource challenges, the location of the whales,” Mase said. 
 
 Officials are also talking with experts from different countries that have experience with herding, she said. 
 
 “The outlook does not ultimately look good for the remaining live whales,” Mase said. 
 
 The whales, who scientists say appeared confused, were originally spotted around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday near Highland Beach, according to Friar. 
 
 Friar said rangers and workers from NOAA responded and found 10 beached whales and the others in shallow waters nearby. 
 
 Four of the whales died but the workers were able to get six back into the water, Friar said. 
 
 "It's so shallow at low tide for such a long distance it makes it more difficult to get the whales to an area where they can swim away," Friar said. 
 
 It's not unusual for the whales to end up in the shallow waters, which stretch for hundreds of yards, Friar said. 
 
 "The thing about these whales, as the day heats up they'll have to keep them wet," she said. 
 
 The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Marine Mammal Conservancy and Marine Animal Rescue Society are assisting the rangers and NOAA Fisheries in the rescue effort. 
 
 The Gulf of Mexico has a very strong pilot whale population and this pod is very far from where they normally would be. They are very far from their deep water habitat and this makes it difficult for rescuers to "push" them back out to sea, Mase said. 
 
 "If we did push the healthy ones out, if they see one dead one they will come back again," Mase said. 
 
 She said a mass stranding occurred in Fort Pierce in 2012. 
 
 
 
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 Copyright Associated Press / NBC 6 South Florida
– A slow-moving marine tragedy is unfolding in the Florida Everglades, where 10 pilot whales are dead and 41 more are stranded in shallow water, reports NBC Miami. Rescuers are trying desperately to coax the whales back to the Gulf of Mexico, but they'd have to make it 20 miles over sandbars and sand flats. It "does not look good," says a marine scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, reports CNN. "We want to set the expectation low because the challenges are very, very difficult." Pilot whales are known for keeping "close-knit social groups," notes AP, which helps explain why such group strandings occur. The whales are now in a remote western part of Everglades National Park, swimming in about 3 feet of water. It's unclear when they got there, but scientists are watching for signs of dehydration and malnutrition. Six of the whales, slightly bigger than dolphins, were found dead, and scientists euthanized four others today. "I don't think we have a lot of time," says the NOAA official.