Chinese scientists discover gigantic whale graveyard in Indian Ocean

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Chinese scientists discover gigantic whale graveyard in Indian Ocean

09.08.2026

Chinese scientists discover gigantic whale graveyard in Indian Ocean

The discovery, made at a depth of nearly 6,800 metres, provides new evidence on the evolution of cetaceans and deep-sea marine ecosystems

stammphoto / iStock [Photo source]

An international team led by scientists from the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering (IDSSE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has discovered an extensive underwater whale graveyard in the Diamantina region of the south-eastern Indian Ocean, according to the People's Daily Online, a partner of TV BRICS.

During a scientific expedition, researchers documented 476 cetacean fossils and five active whale-fall ecosystems spread across approximately 1,200 kilometres of the seabed. Scientists estimate that more than 10 million whale remains may have accumulated in this region over at least 5.3 million years.

Whale falls occur when the carcass of a cetacean sinks to the ocean floor, where it becomes a source of nutrients that supports highly specialised ecosystems. During the expedition, researchers identified the deepest active whale fall ever recorded, at a depth of 6,789 metres, extending the previously known depth limit for such ecosystems by more than 2,500 metres.

The researchers also identified fossils of beaked whales, a little-known group of deep-diving cetaceans, including specimens of a newly identified extinct species named Pterocetus diamantinae. According to the scientific team, this fossil record represents a unique resource for studying the evolution of these marine mammals over millions of years.

The scientists believe the discovery will transform understanding of the distribution of whale-fall ecosystems and the role they play in biodiversity and the carbon cycle in the deep ocean. They also suggest that similar marine graveyards may exist in other parts of the world's oceans and that their exploration will help shed further light on the evolutionary history of cetaceans and the dynamics of hadal ecosystems.

This discovery adds to a series of recent scientific and archaeological findings across BRICS countries that are expanding knowledge of the evolution of species, ecosystems and ancient civilisations.

In Brazil, researchers analysed the first articulated snake fossil ever discovered in the country, named Tametara mirim. According to Metrópoles, a partner of TV BRICS, the specimen, which is around 80 million years old, preserves almost its entire skeleton and provides new evidence on snake evolution by revealing adaptations consistent with a subterranean lifestyle during the Cretaceous Period.

Meanwhile, in India, scientists identified a major Holocene fossil site in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu. According to the official website of India's public broadcaster, the discovery will enrich the country's Quaternary fossil record and enable a more accurate reconstruction of the fauna, climate and ecosystems that existed in the region thousands of years ago.

In Egypt, an archaeological mission of the Supreme Council of Antiquities uncovered two tombs dating to the Early Dynastic Period, along with several burials from the Predynastic and Late Periods in Minya Governorate. According to Sada El-Balad, a partner of TV BRICS, the discoveries provide new evidence of the evolution of funerary architecture and confirm the site's continuous use as a necropolis throughout different periods of Ancient Egypt.

These advances are also reflected in BRICS partner countries, where recent palaeontological discoveries continue to expand knowledge of the history of life on Earth.

In Thailand, palaeontologists identified a new species of long-necked dinosaur, Uragasaurus kalasinensis, which inhabited the region around 150 million years ago during the Late Jurassic. The fossils were unearthed at the Phu Noi site, one of Southeast Asia's leading palaeontological deposits, where more than 6,000 vertebrate fossils have been recovered. The discovery, reported by the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), a partner of TV BRICS, provides new insights into the diversity of Asian sauropods and reinforces Thailand's importance as a regional centre for palaeontological research.