A team of marine archaeologists has uncovered a graveyard of prehistoric whales buried in the seabed off the coast of Cornwall. The site, estimated to be five million years old, contains the fossilised remains of at least 20 ancient cetaceans, preserved in a layer of sediment that scientists believe may hold clues to a mass stranding event. The discovery was made during a routine survey for a offshore wind farm project.
Sources confirm that the fossils are remarkably intact, with some skeletons still in their original positions. The find is being described as one of the most significant in British palaeontology. The team believes the whales may have been beached by a volcanic eruption or a sudden shift in sea levels.
The site is now protected by emergency measures, and further excavation is planned. The public can expect no shortage of scandal over the handling of this rare find, as energy companies and heritage groups clash over access and funding. The director of the excavation, Dr Helen Clarke, told us: 'This is not just a window into the past; it's a mirror held up to our present disregard for marine life.
' The implications for understanding whale evolution and ancient ecosystems are immense. But don't expect any suits in Whitehall to rush to fund further research. They're too busy counting the profits from the fossil fuel projects that unearthed this graveyard in the first place.
