Twelve pilot whales that survived a stranding on Scotland's northeast coast have been put down according to a British charity organization for marine life, BDMLR.
A total of 77 stranded whales were found on Thursday, of which 65 were already dead.
"Unfortunately, the remaining twelve pilot whales have been put down due to their condition deteriorating increasingly after the many hours they spent on the beach", BDMLR writes in a statement.
There is no explanation for why the whales stranded. The organization will collect as many as possible of the dead whales to examine them.
It is not uncommon for pilot whales, which move in tight groups, to experience mass strandings. The deadliest strandings have occurred in New Zealand and Australia.
