Whale graveyard discovered 7km under the sea (nature video)

Whale bones and ancient fossils have been discovered on the ocean floor, concentrated in a deep groove known as the Diamantina Zone. Researchers used the Fendouzhe submersible to descend into the largely unexplored depths and were amazed to find deep sea creatures living on fallen whale bones as well as hundreds of fossils. The oldest fossil was dated to over 5 million years and another represented a previously unknown species of extinct beaked whale.



Did whales go there to die, or did their carcasses end up at the bottom of this trench due to particular currents, or is this area of the ocean a trap for air breathing mammals, with strong down currents or methane outgassing (causing the water to lose its buoyancy)?  

Related:

The ocean's deepest animal ecosystem (nature video)


[Posted at the SpookyWeather2 blog, June 12, 2026.]