According to a research team led by Professor of Ecology Kathrin Bolstad at Auckland University of Technology (New Zealand), the discovery of a whale graveyard was entirely by chance during an expedition in 2017. Recognizing the rarity of this find, the research team used high-resolution cameras to capture footage for later analysis.
It turns out that the location they filmed is the most southerly natural whale graveyard ever discovered. The findings were published by the researchers in the journal Polar Biology.
Professor Bolstad stated that it is extremely rare and incredibly fortunate to encounter a whale graveyard. There are hundreds of thousands of such sites on the ocean floor at any given time, but finding one of them is quite challenging and often unsuccessful.
The research team found that this whale graveyard is located at a depth of 945 meters off the Antarctic Peninsula. However, what makes this discovery even more unusual is that most whale graveyards are situated in the North Pacific, off the coasts of California and Japan. In fact, less than 5% of whale graveyards are located near the poles.
Whale carcass found in the process of decomposition. (Photo: NHK)
The whale remains in this graveyard are massive, with the skull alone measuring about 2 meters long. Researchers identified the animal as a Antarctic minke whale. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this species can reach lengths of up to 10.7 meters.
Professor Bolstad noted that the skeleton could have been on the ocean floor for 1 to 2 years. During this time, the whale carcass is invaded by an ecosystem of other marine organisms. The expert stated: “Most whale graveyards host dozens, if not hundreds, of different species that take advantage of this unexpected food source.”
To observe this rich ecosystem, Professor Bolstad and her colleagues conducted high-resolution filming for 2 hours and then reviewed the footage in detail to identify the present species. The research team found that among them were amphipods, polychaete worms, and slime spots indicating the presence of a bone-eating worm.
The whale carcass provides a “lavish feast” for deep-sea organisms for decades. The abundance of various species attracted to this site forms a completely new food web around the whale remains.
Whale carcass becomes a food source for many marine organisms for years. (Photo: NHK).
According to experts, whale carcasses that fall to the ocean floor typically undergo four stages of decomposition. In this case, the whale shown in the images is at the end of stage 2. During this stage, most of the soft tissue has been consumed by large scavenger species, but its skeleton still retains some remaining tissue that attracts smaller animals.
In reality, there is still much to learn about whale graveyards, including many species that are not yet known to science. However, opportunities to conduct underwater dives in Antarctica are extremely limited. Therefore, discovering the feast surrounding a whale carcass is a rare occurrence.
