5-million-year-old whale fossils in Indian Ocean

The world's largest whale fossil site has been found by scientists at the bottom of the Indian Ocean.

The area reaches depths of over four miles and is located in waters west of Australia.

According to experts, it's also the deepest and oldest known site of its kind, with some fossils dating back more than five million years.

Lead study author Xiaotong Peng said that researchers were "astonished" when the scale of their discovery became clear.

The discovery was made by an international of team of scientists from China, Italy and New Zealand, with their findings published in the scientific journal Nature.

They carried out 32 dives to the site, where experts collected samples from 485 whale sites.

They discovered a treasure trove of remains, including evidence of an extinct species of whale, which the team has called Pterocetus diamantinae, after the site.

Researchers also came across a whole range of different animals feeding there, including jellyfish, worms, snails, crustaceans, brittle stars and molluscs called bivalves.

The team said they couldn't believe what they had discovered.

Study co-author Peng Zhou, explained: "The vibrant ecosystems we saw offered a completely different perspective on this otherwise dark and cold ocean floor."