World's oldest giant whale graveyard discovered in the Indian Ocean, 5 million years old

Scientists discovered the world's oldest, largest, and deepest known whale graveyard in the southeastern Indian Ocean at a depth of approximately 7,000 metres. Over millions of years, hundreds of dead whales have accumulated in this location. The discovery could lead to the identification of extinct species and previously unknown marine creatures.

Scientists have made an extraordinary discovery in the southeastern Indian Ocean: at a depth of approximately 7,000 metres on the ocean floor lies a giant whale graveyard, which the scientific community has dubbed a whale "necropolis". The site represents the oldest, largest, and deepest collection of whale remains known to science.

A history spanning millions of years

According to scientists' estimates, hundreds of dead whales have accumulated at the site over millions of years. The whale graveyard is approximately 5 million years old, making it a unique window into the ancient biodiversity of the oceans. For researchers, a discovery site of such age and scale is extremely rare.

The scientists who have examined it believe the discovery could lead to important new knowledge. Among the remains in the graveyard, researchers may find skeletons of extinct whale species and even the remnants of marine creatures previously unknown to science. Such findings could significantly change our understanding of how deep-sea ecosystems developed and how whales evolved.

A new frontier for science

Deep-sea research has yielded increasingly surprising results over recent decades, but even in this context, such a discovery is exceptional. The 7,000-metre depth makes research challenging, but modern submersibles and remote-operated vehicles allow scientists to access the site. In all likelihood, this location will become a focal point for deep-sea researchers in the coming years.