A number of pilot whales were found stranded on an island off the north coast of Scotland on Thursday.

Of the 77 whales found, only 12 were alive. After several hours of work, the rest had to be killed to prevent further suffering.

According to the newspaper independent It is one of the largest mass whale strandings in Britain in recent times.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) says it was alerted to the stranding of up to 100 animals just before 11am on Thursday and sent personnel to Tresnes Beach on Sanday, a Scottish island in the Orkney Islands.

– awesome

The incident was described as “horrific” and “very emotional” by crews on the scene.

– Upon arrival, doctors found about 77 animals on the beach, having already been stranded for several hours. “Unfortunately, only 12 of them were alive at this time,” the organization said in a statement.

First aid was given to the remaining animals, but to no avail.

Our team continues to work hard to deal with this very difficult situation, and the organization continues.

Whales are everywhere.

Just over a year ago, a similar incident occurred in Scotland when 55 pilot whales became stranded. Only one whale survived.

Emma Neve Webb from BDMLR is affected by Thursday's incident.

“There are whales everywhere. There are a long line of them, and some of them are still alive. It’s really scary,” she says.

The cause of the stranding is said to be unknown. According to the organization, it is likely that one of the whales stranded itself, followed by the others.

A loving couple had a magical moment with whales in Kvaløya on July 5: