Five 'new Apostles' found off Victoria's coast

Victoria's natural wonder, the Twelve Apostles, may soon need a new name. Scientists have discovered five more of the rock formations - hidden in the deep sea. It's said to be a world first - limestone columns have apparently never before been found preserved in the ocean...

Source: Flickr

The Twelve Apostles have been keeping a secret - 60-thousand years old.

 

Hidden 50 metres beneath the sea's surface, six kilometres off-shore from the Great Ocean Road, are the drowned apostles.

Melbourne University P-h-D student Rhiannon Bezore discovered the additional 'Apostles' while performing a preliminary scan of some sonar data, collected by another student.

 

They found marine monoliths - similar in size and shape to the Twelve Apostles - on the seabed. 

 

Sea-stacks are usually seen along coastlines, and usually only survive a few hundred years because they are constantly eroding.

 

In 1990 the so-called "London Bridge" formation collapsed.

 

Then in 2005, another of the 'Apostles' was lost.

 

Currently, eight are still standing.

Source: AAP

Melbourne University geomorphologist, Associate Professor David Kennedy, says the drowned 'Apostles' were preserved

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The finding is regarded as a world first.

 

Seastacks that deep, and that old, have apparently not been found before.

 

The drowned 'Apostles' are located a short distance away from the modern 'Apostles', along the Victorian coastline.

 

A dive following the discovery found they were full of marine life - forming reefs and creating a habitat for fish, oysters and abalone.

 

Associate Professor David Kennedy says the availability of new technology means this discovery could just be the beginning of many more.