A huge pod of 77 pilot whales beached themselves Thursday in Scotland in the largest event of its kind since 1995.

The devastating situation was brought to the attention of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) around 10:45 a.m. Sunday as the long-finned pilot whales started beaching on the isle of Sanday in Orkney, according to BDMLR. When the team of medics arrived, they found at least 77 of the majestic creatures high onto the beach, suggesting they’d been there for several hours.

Only 12 of the whales were alive when BDMLR arrived. The decision was made to euthanize them around 6:12 p.m. local time due to the deterioration and possible injury.

“The substrate they’re on is also incredibly soft meaning they have sunk even deeper into the sand when the tide washed over them, so they unfortunately weren’t able to refloat themselves,” BDMLR wrote.

Our hearts went out to colleagues, rescuers & local community in Orkney (Scotland) today, after over 70 pilot whales mass stranded. It’s hard to remain focused through such heartbreaking circumstances. Sadly, all whales lost their lives.

Photo: British Divers Marine Life Rescue pic.twitter.com/ReJSkWo97i

— Marine Connection (@MC_org) July 11, 2024

😔 a tragic loss of 77 long-finned pilot whales today in a mass stranding on Sanday, Orkney. So many to lose on top of the 592 already killed in just the past eight weeks by the murdering Faroese bastards. #dontvisitfaroes pic.twitter.com/iqSmuFBy6h

— Andy Lawson (@mtnsofscotland) July 11, 2024

77 pilot whales stranded in Sanday today. We helped BDMLR Orkney medics transport their kit to the site and start to record details. It was distressing to witness as 12 were still alive. Medics are on scene with help coming from further afield. pic.twitter.com/N3aAGjigub

— 59 Degrees North (@BlueprintJon) July 11, 2024

The Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) intends to recover as many of the bodies as possible for post-mortem. The teams hope to figure out why so many were stranded. The pod includes males, females, calves and juveniles, according to the BBC. (RELATED: More Than 200 Whales Stranded On Remote Beach)

It is thought that many whales strand themselves on beaches due to illness or injury, while sometimes bad weather, old age, hunting too close to shorelines and navigation errors are to blame, says Wildlife Florida. Large groups can sometimes end up stranded when a sick pod member calls for help from close to the shore.