An underwater photographer in Australia was lost for words when he came across the remains of a humpback whale\u00a0on the seabed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard to put into words what it was like diving on this skeleton, surrounded by the echoing calls of singing whales,\u201d said marine biologist\u00a0Ollie Clarke<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Instagram<\/a> in 2025. \u201cHarrowing, yet strangely beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n The carcass was from a humpback whale<\/a> that had become entangled in discarded fishing gear \u2013 often known as ghost gear \u2013 and couldn\u2019t be saved, said\u00a0Clarke: “Eventually it succumbed to its injuries.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Underwater footage shows the enormous size of the whale \u2013 and the many animals feeding on it. Credit: Oliver Clarke<\/p>\n When an animal dies in the ocean, it provides food and nutrients for many other creatures. After the whale\u2019s body sank to the seafloor, many animals were attracted to the feast. “There were hundreds of sharks,\u201d said Clarke. “Mostly tigers<\/a>\u00a0and dusky sharks but a lot of different species were present trying to get a piece of the action.\u201d<\/p>\n Because of the feeding frenzy that can happen around carcasses, diving nearby is not recommended. It\u2019s “extremely rare\u201d for whale falls to occur in areas where divers might find them, said Clarke, adding that this carcass was in a \u201cvery remote\u201d part of Western Australia.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the footage that Clarke captured, the humpback\u2019s flesh had been almost entirely eaten and the bones remained with tiny fish flitting around it.<\/p>\n He could also hear live whales\u00a0singing<\/a>\u00a0in the background as he swam. \u201cHumpbacks use this area as a resting ground during their migration so whilst underwater we could hear the ethereal and almost haunting songs of other whales in the area very clearly,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n More amazing wildlife stories from around the UK<\/p>\n Top image: Whale fall. Credit: Oliver Clarke<\/a> (@ollieclarkephoto)<\/p>\n