For 5 million years, whales have come to this place in the Indian Ocean to die

A vast whale graveyard, approximately 1,200 kilometers long and dating back as far as 5.3 million years, has been discovered in the south-eastern Indian Ocean's Diamantina fracture zone. Researchers from China, Italy, and New Zealand made this significant find during 32 dives, collecting samples from numerous whale fossil sites and active whale falls. The underwater necropolis, located at a depth of 7 kilometers, contains a wealth of remains, including the skeleton of an extinct whale. Scientists are particularly excited by the potential discovery of new species among the organisms inhabiting the site. The scale, depth, and age of the graveyard exceeded researchers' expectations.

Scientists have discovered a vast, deep whale graveyard in the southeastern Indian Ocean, teeming with diverse marine life. This site, located up to 23,000 feet below the surface, is the largest, deepest, and oldest whale graveyard found to date, with the oldest bones dating back 5.3 million years. Researchers explored the area in 2023 using submersibles, finding five carcass sites with fossilized whale skulls. The whale carcasses provide a sustained food source for communities of creatures like jellyfish, tubeworms, brittle stars, sea cucumbers, squat lobsters, and saltwater clams, many of which may be new species. The unique chemistry and size of whale bones, combined with the deep ocean environment, contribute to the formation and preservation of these unique ecosystems.