Scientists discover where whales go to die
Researchers have found a vast underwater whale graveyard seven kilometres beneath the Indian Ocean, the deepest, oldest and largest ever discovered. The site contains whale skeletons dating back up to 5.3 million years and hosts a thriving ecosystem of deep-sea creatures.
Scientists have uncovered a vast underwater whale graveyard in one of the most remote parts of the world's oceans. Located seven kilometres below the surface of the Indian Ocean, it is believed to be the deepest, oldest and largest whale graveyard ever discovered.
During a series of deep-sea submersible expeditions in 2023, researchers identified five whale carcass sites and numerous fossils. Among the remains were skulls belonging to beaked and baleen whales, with some bones dating back as far as 5.3 million years.
The graveyard supports a remarkable ecosystem of marine creatures. Scientists found jellyfish, tubeworms, brittle stars, sea cucumbers, squat lobsters and saltwater clams living on and around the whale remains. Many of the species may be previously unknown to science, according to findings published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
Whale falls occur when a whale carcass sinks to the ocean floor, providing a long-lasting food source for deep-sea organisms. According to researchers, the enormous size of whales and the unique chemistry of their bones make them ideal foundations for these ecosystems.
The discovery has surprised scientists not only because of the graveyard's size, but also because of the extraordinary preservation of the bones over millions of years. Several factors helped protect the remains: the bones are dense enough to withstand attacks from bone-eating worms, their extreme depth shields them from being buried beneath sediment, and a thin coating of minerals from seawater may have slowed their deterioration.
Researchers are still uncertain why so many whales ended up in the same location. One possibility is that whales naturally lived and died in the area. Others may have succumbed to exhaustion or illness associated with deep diving. The researchers also suggest that the V-shaped geography of the seabed could have channelled whale remains into the same resting place over millions of years.
Scientists say the discovery provides valuable insight into how life survives in some of the harshest environments on Earth. Studying the whale graveyards is important for understanding how life can adapt to such extreme conditions, not only due to the lack of light and oxygen but also to the incredibly high pressure.
