Researchers discover dense whale fossil site at 7002 metres in Indian Ocean

A Chinese-led team discovered the world’s deepest known whale graveyard at 7002 metres in the Dordrecht Deep section of the Diamantina Zone during 32 crewed submersible dives in early 2023. The site lies more than 1100 kilometres south-west of Perth, Western Australia, within the southern Indian Ocean’s Diamantina Zone, where depths range from 6000 to 11000 metres. 26 million years old.

The expedition formed part of the Global Hadal Exploration Programme. The submersible’s manipulator arms collected 43 fossil specimens, among them possible baleen-whale ribs found at 5656 metres and a new species formally named Pterocetus diamantinae. Younger fossils included remains of Andrews’ beaked whale and the strap-toothed whale.

55 millimetres per thousand years and coatings of ferromanganese oxides. A 5-metre Antarctic minke whale carcass was among the recent remains. Invertebrates such as bone-eating worms and brittle stars colonised the bones at densities reaching 2800 individuals per square metre.

1038/s41586-026-10546-z.