How Fast Is Whale Fall Descent?

A dead whale descends to the abyssal ocean floor at about 0.5 metres per second — taking hours to reach 4 km depth. Once there, the carcass becomes a feast that supports specialised deep-sea ecosystems for decades.

When a whale dies in deep water, its body sinks for hours — and supports an entire ecosystem of deep-sea scavengers for up to 50 years.

• Same pace as an escalator
• Feeds deep-sea ecosystems for decades