TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. —  Two recovering pilot whales will remain at Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s mammal rehab facility in Tarpon Springs after beaching on Redington Beach Monday morning. 

The whales will remain at the facility until they are healthy enough to be released back into the wild. 

The US Coast Guard helped release the other three offshore back into the Gulf. Since those three whales were tagged, officials will know where to find them.

"The goal is to get them back home as quickly as we can," said the Aquarium's Bill Potts. "The sooner they can get back with those other three, the happier we will be."

Marine Biologists say pilot whales are known to mass strand, like seen on Monday. 

"Pilot whales are known to live in very tight social cohesive units," said Marine Biologist Laura Engleby. "It’s sort of all for one - one for all and so when one goes they all go and so in this case often we don’t know why they strand. 

"However we do know they're out of where they normally live." 

Engleby added it can be deadly for the whales if not quickly moved back out to deeper water. 

Officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, along with Clearwater Marine Aquarium marine biologists, went to the aid of the distressed pilot whales Monday morning. 

The whales ranged from 800 to 1,800 pounds and were 10 to 14 feet long.

Hundreds ventured out onto the beach to watch the rescue operation. Wildlife officials allowed a few bystanders to come out to the tents to help in the efforts.