THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Scientists discover massive ancient whale graveyard off Australia Scientists have discovered what is believed to be the world's largest whale graveyard, off the coast of Australia, with fossils dating back millions of years, according to a n...

World’s largest, deepest, oldest whale graveyard discovered in Indian Ocean Chinese scientists have discovered a massive whale graveyard of around 500 skeletons, some dating back to more than 5 million years, at the bottom of the Indian Ocean west of Australia, according to research published in the journal Nature on Wednesday. The whale fall provides shelter and sustenance to a vibrant ecosystem of marine species, many believed to be new to science.

World's largest whale graveyard found by sub at bottom of ocean The world's largest whale graveyard has been discovered at the bottom of the Indian Ocean by Chinese scientists, who found that the vast expanse of both new and ancient carcasses supports huge communities of deep-sea life. It is the deepest and oldest known whale graveyard on Earth, according to research published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, with some fossils dating back 5.3 million years. From inside a small submersible, the Chinese researchers saw many strange animals — many believed to be new to science — living off the whale carcasses. A new, though extinct, species of whale was also identified among the nearly 500 skeletons that were found up to 7,000 meters deep along a 1,200-kilometer corridor of bones in the Indian Ocean west of Australia. Lead study author Xiaotong Peng of the Chinese Academy of Sciences told AFP that the researchers were "astonished" when the scale of their discovery became clear. It was known that when whales die and drop to the seafloor, their sunken bodies — called "whale falls" — provide a source of food to deep-sea creatures. "But discovering a necropolis of this scale was compl…

World's largest whale graveyard discovered by Chinese scientists World’s largest whale graveyard discovered by Chinese scientists Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The world's largest whale graveyard has been discovered at the bottom of the Indian Ocean by Chinese scientists, who found both new and ancient carcasses that support huge communities of deep-sea life. PHOTO: AFP Published Jun 11, 2026, 11:16 AM Updated Jun 11, 2026, 05:59 PM Listen PARIS – The world’s largest whale graveyard has been discovered at the bottom of the Indian Ocean by Chinese scientists, who found that the vast expanse of both new and ancient carcasses supports huge communities of deep-sea life. It is also the deepest and oldest-known whale graveyard on Earth, according to research published in the journal Nature on June 10, with some fossils dating back 5.3 million years. From inside a small submersible, the Chinese researchers saw an array of strange animals – many believed to be new to science – living off the whale carcasses. A new, though extinct, species of whale was also identified among the nearly 500 skeletons found up to 7,000m deep along a 1,200km corridor of bones in the…

For 5 million years, whales have come to this place in the Indian Ocean to die Chinese deep-sea explorers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have discovered the largest “whale-fall site” ever recorded in the Indian Ocean. The graveyard is the Earth’s deepest and most extensive known accumulation of whale fossils, carcasses and the unique ecosystems they support, with some fossils dating back about 5.3 million years. Detailed in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature on Wednesday, the study was conducted by researchers from the CAS Institute of...

Whale graveyard dating back five million years discovered The Indian Ocean site is "far beyond anything we had imagined", one researcher says.

Scientists Discover Vast Ancient ‘Necropolis’ Teeming With Strange New Creatures A massive whale graveyard in the Indian Ocean contains the remains of hundreds of extinct whales dating back more than five million years, along with recent carcasses that support hotspots of seafloor life.

745-mile whale graveyard found at the bottom of Indian Ocean Fragmentary whale skeletal remains are abundant on the deep seafloor of the Diamantina Zone, reflecting long-term exposure and slow carcass degradation. These bones are typically colonised by hard-substrate animals, including stalked sea anemones, sponges, and sea stars. Photographs taken from the Chinese submersible ‘Fendouzhe.’ Image: Global TREnD, IDSSE Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe at any time. The ocean floor is covered with dead whales –but it is everything but a biohazard. When a whale dies, its body sinks to the ocean floor in a process called whale fall . The carcass then becomes its own complex ecosystem, nourishing and housing all types of marine life. Whale bones can then fossilize over time, leaving behind traces of what life looked like millions of years ago. Now, scientists in the Indian Ocean have discovered an enormous whale graveyard. …

World's biggest whale graveyard found in Indian Ocean off Australia Hundreds of whale fossils, including those from extinct species new to science, range in age from recent to five million years old and are also home to undescribed deep-sea creatures.

Whale graveyard dating back five million years discovered The Indian Ocean site is "far beyond anything we had imagined", one researcher says.

Largest whale 'graveyard' discovered, with skeletons spanning 5 million ... June 10, 2026 3 min read Add Us On Google Add SciAm Largest whale ‘graveyard’ discovered, with skeletons spanning 5 million years The fossilized remains of more than 450 whales have amassed along a 750-mile-long stretch of the Indian Ocean floor By Meghan Bartels edited by Claire Cameron A submersible’s robotic arm grasps a fossilized whale bone on the deep seafloor. Global TREnD, IDSSE Join Our Community of Science Lovers! Sign Up for Our Free Daily Newsletter Chinese scientists have discovered the largest whale “graveyard” ever found. It contains nearly 500 whale skeletons all collected by chance and spreads across 750 miles of seafloor and five million years of evolutionary history. “They’ve really captured something novel,” says Nick Pyenson, a paleontologist at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, who was not involved in the new research. The discovery is detailed in a study published today in Nature . “It’s a cool study; it’s really neat to see,” Pyenson says. The discovery is centered on the Diamantina Fracture Zone, which travels west from the southwesternmost tip of Au…