( CNN ) -- A total of 20 pilot whales have been found dead on an island off southwestern Florida , possibly driven ashore by high seas , the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday . A boater reported the whales early Thursday afternoon near Kice Island , south of Naples , said Blair Mase , NOAA 's Southeastern stranding coordinator . Their bodies were found above the normal tide line , suggesting that seas whipped by strong westerly winds may have led to their running aground , Mase said . It 's the second time this week that pods of pilot whales , which can reach sizes up to 25 feet , have found themselves in danger off the state 's southwest coast . Of the 14 whales that were found off a state park near Fort Myers on Monday , eight died , including one pregnant female , NOAA said . Necropsies on those animals have produced no significant findings that would point to a cause of death , Mase said . Some of the whales appeared emaciated , but others appeared to be in good shape , she said . And in December , 51 pilot whales were stranded on the edge of Everglades National Park ; only 29 survived . About 2,400 pilot whales are believed to live in the Gulf of Mexico , according to NOAA . The species is not endangered , but they are covered by the Marine Mammal Protection Act .
The dead whales were found on Florida 's Kice Island . They 're believed to have been washed ashore amid high seas . It 's the second set of strandings in the area this week .