Massive Underwater Whale Graveyard Reveals Vibrant Ecosystem

WHO:

[12:45 PM EDT] - CBS News - Chinese scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, including lead study author Xiaotong Peng and co-author Peng Zhou.

AP News - Biologist Xikun Song from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, paleontologist Stephen Godfrey from the Calvert Marine Museum, and Giovanni Bianucci from the University of Pisa.

WHAT:

[12:45 PM EDT] - CBS News - The researchers catalogued 485 whale-fall sites, including 476 whale fossils and five currently active whale-fall ecosystems.

[12:45 PM EDT] - CBS News - The oldest skull obtained from the site dates back to 5.26 million years ago.

[12:45 PM EDT] - CBS News - The study indicates that the whale graveyard may have been accumulating continuously for millions of years.

[12:45 PM EDT] - CBS News - The researchers documented a rich biota at the five active whale falls, including microbial mats, Osedax worms, brittle stars, and bivalve mollusks.

[12:45 PM EDT] - CBS News - The study includes a map showing the distribution of whale fossils and whale falls in the Diamantina Zone as well as detailed illustrations of fossil crania.

[12:45 PM EDT] - CBS News - Among the animals discovered living off the carcasses were jellyfish, brittle stars, bone-boring worms, and molluscs called bivalves.

[12:45 PM EDT] - CBS News - The study's authors write that the results support the hypothesis that deep-sea whale falls act as evolutionary hotspots and biogeographic stepping stones for sulfide-dependent fauna in the deep ocean.

[12:45 PM EDT] - CBS News - The discovery was announced just weeks after the Chinese Academy of Sciences reported the world's oldest known fish fossils were found in China.

[12:45 PM EDT] - CBS News - The world's largest whale graveyard has been discovered, containing nearly 500 skeletons and a new extinct species of whale.

[12:45 PM EDT] - CBS News - The graveyard spans a 1,200-kilometer corridor and is located up to 7,000 meters deep.

[12:45 PM EDT] - CBS News - The study estimates there could be more than 10 million whale carcasses in the area known as the Diamantina Zone.

[12:45 PM EDT] - CBS News - The soft tissue and lipids in the carcasses translate to approximately 6.7 million tonnes of sequestered carbon.

AP News - The oldest whale bones found date back 5.3 million years, and the graveyard is the deepest and oldest known.

WHERE:

[12:45 PM EDT] - CBS News - The whale graveyard is located at the bottom of the Indian Ocean, west of Australia.

AP News - The graveyard is situated up to 23,000 feet (7 kilometers) below the surface of the southeastern Indian Ocean.

WHEN:

[12:45 PM EDT] - CBS News - The discovery was based on research published in the journal Nature on a Wednesday.

[12:45 PM EDT] - CBS News - The Fendouzhe submersible conducted 32 dives in 2023 to explore the graveyard.

WHY:

[12:45 PM EDT] - CBS News - The whales likely died in this area due to it being a popular foraging habitat, with a V-shaped trench that funnels carcasses to the seafloor.

AP News - The unique chemistry of whale bones and their size contribute to the formation of these underwater neighborhoods.

HOW:

[12:45 PM EDT] - CBS News - The researchers were exploring the Diamantina Fracture Zone as part of the Global Hadal Exploration Programme (GHEP).

AP News - Researchers explored the remains during multiple deep-sea submersible trips in 2023, collecting samples and mapping the extent of the necropolis. They found five carcass sites and fossils, including skulls belonging to beaked and baleen whales.

[12:45 PM EDT] - CBS News - Researchers used a submersible to collect fossil samples and map the extent of the graveyard.

AP News - The bones were preserved due to their density, location, and a light mineral coating from seawater, which prevented degradation.

(UPDATED June 10, 2026 23:38 UTC)

Researchers have catalogued 485 whale-fall sites, which include 476 whale fossils and five currently active ecosystems, revealing a rich biota with organisms like microbial mats, Osedax worms, brittle stars, and bivalve mollusks. The oldest skull found at these sites dates back an impressive 5.26 million years, suggesting that this whale graveyard has been accumulating continuously for millions of years. This significant study was conducted by scientists exploring the Diamantina Fracture Zone as part of the Global Hadal Exploration Programme.

(UPDATED June 10, 2026 21:48 UTC)

A new study has revealed fascinating insights into deep-sea ecosystems, highlighting the distribution of whale fossils and whale falls in the Diamantina Zone, along with detailed illustrations of fossil crania. Researchers, who conducted multiple deep-sea submersible trips, discovered various creatures living off the carcasses, including jellyfish, brittle stars, bone-boring worms, and bivalves, while also mapping five carcass sites and fossils from beaked and baleen whales. The authors of the study suggest that these whale falls serve as evolutionary hotspots and biogeographic stepping stones for sulfide-dependent fauna in the deep ocean, a discovery that follows the recent announcement of the world's oldest known fish fossils found in China.

(UPDATED June 10, 2026 17:56 UTC)

Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have made a groundbreaking discovery of the world's largest whale graveyard, located in the southeastern Indian Ocean, which contains nearly 500 skeletons and a new extinct species of whale. This graveyard, spanning a 1,200-kilometer corridor and lying up to 23,000 feet below the surface, is estimated to hold more than 10 million whale carcasses, contributing approximately 6.7 million tonnes of sequestered carbon. Researchers conducted 32 dives with the Fendouzhe submersible in 2023 to explore this unique underwater neighborhood, where the density and chemistry of the bones have helped preserve them over millions of years.