Five‑Million‑Year‑Old Whale Graveyard Uncovered in the Indian Ocean

A remarkable site—an underwater cemetery of whales—has been found around 1,200 km (745 miles) long in the south‑eastern Indian Ocean. Scientists from China, Italy and New Zealand spotted the necropolis in the Diamantina fracture zone, a rugged region of ridges and trenches on the ocean floor.

The graveyard lies 7 km (four miles) below the surface, and the bones date back as far as 5.3 million years. During 32 dives, researchers collected samples from 485 fossil sites and active whale falls, uncovering a trove of fossils and living communities that “may be new to science.”

The species Pterocetus benguelae—an extinct beaked whale—was found fossilised, and the team described a new species, Pterocetus diamantinae, named after the discovery site. One of the most striking finds was a 5‑metre long Antarctic minke whale carcass.

The area teems with diverse life: jellyfish, worms and crustaceans have colonised the decomposing carcasses, creating a lively ecosystem within this ancient death ground. “Peng and colleagues’ encounter with a vast fossil graveyard is a truly unique discovery,” Stephen J. Godfrey, Calvert Marine Museum, wrote in Nature.

While access to the site is limited, the findings hint at numerous other exciting discoveries that future submersible dives may uncover. The research was detailed in a Nature article, which can be accessed here: Nature.