A devastating loss unfolded on the Isle of Lewis in northwest Scotland as a pod of 55 pilot whales met a tragic end after becoming stranded on Traigh Mhor beach. Marine rescuers, coast guard personnel, and police responded to reports of the distressed mammals early Sunday morning. Upon arrival, the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) discovered a heartbreaking scene, with only 15 of the whales, both adults and calves, still clinging to life.

Rescuers made valiant attempts to refloat two of the more active whales situated closer to the water's edge. However, the challenging conditions, including the shallow beach and turbulent waves, coupled with the prolonged period the whales had spent out of the water, forced the difficult decision to euthanize the remaining whales on welfare grounds by Sunday afternoon.

The BDMLR suggests that the entire pod may have followed a female whale onto the beach when she encountered difficulties during childbirth. Pilot whales are known for their strong social bonds, often leading to such tragic outcomes when one member of the pod becomes stranded. The organization expressed their sorrow over the incident, stating, "A sad outcome for this pod and obviously not the outcome we were all hoping for."

Experts from the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme will commence post-mortem examinations to ascertain the cause of the whales' deaths. Andrew Brownlow, representing the scheme, described the task as "monumental," emphasizing the scale of the tragedy as the largest stranding incident in terms of casualties they have encountered. Samples and data will be collected from some of the whales, and their bodies will be transported to a landfill for burial following the completion of the post-mortem analysis.