An international team has discovered a whale cemetery in the Diamantina Fracture Zone containing remains of up to 10 million specimens, some dating back 5.3 million years.
The discovery was made in 2023 during dives with the Fendouzhe submersible at 32 sites in the trench. Researchers recovered 43 fossils and documented 485 deposits along a 1,200-kilometer stretch at depths of up to 7,001 meters. The study, published in Nature, was led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences with participation from researchers in Italy and New Zealand. The remains include current species such as the deep-water beaked whale and extinct ones such as Pterocetus diamantinae. Five active whale falls support communities of organisms, some unknown to science. Researcher Alberto Collareta noted that the site provides insight into the evolution of beaked whales. The estimated density reaches 759.5 individuals per square kilometer, indicating the area could hold nearly 10 million carcasses and also act as a carbon sink.
