WHALE GRAVEYARD AROUND FIVE MILLION YEARS OLD DISCOVERED

BEIJING, JUNE 11 /SRNA/ - A massive whale graveyard, about 1,200 kilometers long, has been discovered in the southeastern part of the Indian Ocean and is believed to be around five million years old.

The site, at a depth of about seven kilometers, was found in the Diamantina Zone, which includes a series of ridges and trenches on the seabed.

Some of the whale remains are up to 5.3 million years old.

"The underwater necropolis, discovered by a team of researchers from China, Italy, and New Zealand, is teeming with organisms and species that may be new to science," the journal Nature published.

During 32 diver descents to the site, researchers collected samples from 485 fossil sites and other whale remains, finding a treasure trove of remains, including the skeleton of an extinct whale.

A beaked Pterocetus benguelae, 5.3 million years old, was discovered as one of the fossilized skulls, reports the BBC.

The carcass of an Antarctic minke whale, five meters long, was the largest discovery.

In addition, a new species was discovered, which the team named Pterocetus diamantinae, after the location.

Jellyfish, worms, and crabs are among the communities of creatures living off the whale remains.