Above file video: Dozens of whales end up on St. Simon's Island beachFor the second time in recent months, dozens of pilot whales stranded themselves along Georgia waters.The Georgia Department of Natural Resources says about 26 short-finned pilot whales stranded themselves on or near St. Catherines Island on Wednesday, leaving 15 dead.St. Catherines, Georgia DNR and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration responded. Staff from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also helped.Officials aren't sure why the whales beached themselves. Necropsies are being done to assess the animals health and to search for possible clues to the stranding.It was just two months ago that at least 47 pilot whales were involved in a mass stranding on St. Simons Island. Three whales died. No cause for that mass stranding has been determined.St. Catherines is privately owned and not open to the public.St. Catherines staff found 11-13 whales stranded on the remote island Wednesday morning, according to island director of operations Mike Halderson. Five were alive. Using tarps, tow ropes and vehicles, staff carefully returned four of the whales to the water. The fifth died before it could be moved. Short-finned pilot whales can weigh more than 3 tons and reach 24 feet in length.Later Wednesday, DNR confirmed that five pilot whales had stranded in the marsh. Small groups also were seen swimming that day in a tidal creek and in Sapelo Sound.On Thursday, checks by helicopter and boat spotted no live whales or additional dead ones as of noon, leaving the live whales seen Wednesday unaccounted for. Monitoring is continuing. Necropsies involving NOAA, DNR, St. Catherines and Dr. Terry Norton of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center are being conducted to the extent possible given logistics at the remote sites and the decomposition of carcasses. Some results may not be available for months. DNR senior wildlife biologist Clay George emphasized, however, that the mass stranding on St. Catherines is clearly not related to the capsized freighter in St. Simons Sound. The straight-line distance from the ship to the mass stranding site is more than 30 miles.WHAT YOU CAN DOIf you see a sick, injured, stranded or dead marine mammal, immediately contact Georgia DNR at 1-800-2-SAVE-ME (800-272-8363) or the Southeast U.S. Marine Mammal Stranding Network at 877-WHALE HELP (877-942-5343).NOAA also offers the free Dolphin and Whale 911 app to report a stranded marine mammal. Download the app through the Apple or Google Play Store.Below video: Rescuers save Orcas stranded on Argentine beach

Above file video: Dozens of whales end up on St. Simon's Island beach

For the second time in recent months, dozens of pilot whales stranded themselves along Georgia waters.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources says about 26 short-finned pilot whales stranded themselves on or near St. Catherines Island on Wednesday, leaving 15 dead.

St. Catherines, Georgia DNR and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration responded. Staff from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also helped.

Officials aren't sure why the whales beached themselves. Necropsies are being done to assess the animals health and to search for possible clues to the stranding.

It was just two months ago that at least 47 pilot whales were involved in a mass stranding on St. Simons Island. Three whales died. No cause for that mass stranding has been determined.

St. Catherines is privately owned and not open to the public.

St. Catherines staff found 11-13 whales stranded on the remote island Wednesday morning, according to island director of operations Mike Halderson. Five were alive. Using tarps, tow ropes and vehicles, staff carefully returned four of the whales to the water. The fifth died before it could be moved.

Short-finned pilot whales can weigh more than 3 tons and reach 24 feet in length.

Later Wednesday, DNR confirmed that five pilot whales had stranded in the marsh. Small groups also were seen swimming that day in a tidal creek and in Sapelo Sound.

On Thursday, checks by helicopter and boat spotted no live whales or additional dead ones as of noon, leaving the live whales seen Wednesday unaccounted for. Monitoring is continuing.

Necropsies involving NOAA, DNR, St. Catherines and Dr. Terry Norton of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center are being conducted to the extent possible given logistics at the remote sites and the decomposition of carcasses. Some results may not be available for months.

DNR senior wildlife biologist Clay George emphasized, however, that the mass stranding on St. Catherines is clearly not related to the capsized freighter in St. Simons Sound. The straight-line distance from the ship to the mass stranding site is more than 30 miles.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

If you see a sick, injured, stranded or dead marine mammal, immediately contact Georgia DNR at 1-800-2-SAVE-ME (800-272-8363) or the Southeast U.S. Marine Mammal Stranding Network at 877-WHALE HELP (877-942-5343).

NOAA also offers the free Dolphin and Whale 911 app to report a stranded marine mammal. Download the app through the Apple or Google Play Store.

Below video: Rescuers save Orcas stranded on Argentine beach

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15 pilot whales die near St. Catherines Island; Georgia's 2nd mass stranding this year - WJCL News