A dozen whales that survived a mass stranding off the northeast coast of Scotland were euthanized due to their deteriorating condition, according to the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR). The stranding occurred on Sanday Island in Scotland's Orkney archipelago, where 77 long-finned pilot whales were found ashore on Thursday, with 65 already deceased.

"Sadly, the remaining 12 pilot whales have been euthanized due to their condition deteriorating from the many hours they have spent stranded on the beach," BDMLR stated. The whales suffered from crush injuries due to their own weight and likely inhaled water with the incoming tide. They also became further embedded in the sand and were unable to refloat themselves.

The cause of the stranding remains unclear, and BDMLR plans to conduct post-mortem examinations on as many whales as possible. The stranded whales had been on the beach for several hours before being discovered.

Mass strandings are not uncommon for pilot whales, which travel in tightly-knit groups. While this incident is significant, it is not unprecedented. Last year, 55 pilot whales were stranded on the island of Lewis in northwest Scotland, and even larger strandings have occurred in places like New Zealand and Australia.