HOBART, Australia (AP) – A group of whales rescued from an Australian beach have joined a larger pod in deep waters – a sign they are doing fine after their ordeal, an official said Monday.

Rescuers tagged five of eleven pilot whales they plucked from the beach in southern Tasmania state Sunday with satellite tracking devices so they could follow the animals’ progress.

It was the first time tracking devices had been used in a whale rescue in Australia.

By Monday morning, the tagged whales had found a larger pod of whales and were swimming east toward migration routes know to be used by humpback whales, said wildlife officer David Pemberton.

“Not only have they survived being put back in the water after their traumatic ordeal but they’ve also found each other and are traveling with each other,” said Pemberton, who is from Tasmania’s Department of Primary Industries and Water.

Whales that become beached are sometimes known to return in confusion to dangerously shallow waters after being freed, dismaying rescuers.