DD Animal News – Imagine diving deep into the ocean and coming face-to-face with a creature that predates the dinosaurs. That’s exactly what happened off the coast of Indonesia, where scientists recently photographed an incredibly rare and ancient fish called the Indonesian coelacanth (Latimeria menadoensis)—a species once thought to be extinct for over 70 million years.
This is the first time the elusive coelacanth has ever been photographed in its native Indonesian waters, and it’s a jaw-dropping win for marine science and conservation.
Diving Deep for a Prehistoric Peek
The remarkable sighting happened in the Maluku Archipelago, a group of remote islands in eastern Indonesia. The coelacanth was spotted nearly 475 feet below the surface—way deeper than most divers dare to go. That’s the kind of zone where sunlight barely reaches, and ancient secrets still swim. She was able to accomplish this feat through using mixed-gas, which is a mix of oxygen, nitrogen and a low percent of trace gases, instead of just oxygen.
The lucky (and very brave) human behind the lens? Marine biologist Alexis Chappuis of UNSEEN Expeditions, a team dedicated to exploring Earth’s underwater mysteries in mesophotic coral ecosystems. These are habitats that are found in tropical areas in water from 100 meters to over 490 meters deep, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Meso means middle and photic means light.
Their deep-sea mission was supported by Blancpain, a Swiss luxury watchmaker known for sponsoring bold ocean conservation efforts.
A Fish Out of Time
So what’s the big deal about this fish?
When scientists rediscovered a coelacanth species off South Africa’s coast in 1938, it stunned the scientific world. Until then, it was believed coelacanths vanished with the dinosaurs. Their reappearance was hailed as one of the greatest zoological discoveries of the 20th century.
The fish wasn’t spotted again until 2013, when diver Laurent Ballesta photographed a coelacanth in South African waters. Now, this new sighting in Indonesia marks another major milestone—the first time the Indonesian coelacanth has been caught on camera in its home habitat.
This is more than just a cool picture. It confirms that these ancient swimmers are still out there—lurking in the deep, unchanged and undisturbed.
A Dangerous Dive Worth Taking
Capturing a moment like this isn’t as easy as pointing a camera and saying “cheese.” Deep mixed-gas diving, which is needed at such depths, comes with serious risks. Divers have to carefully manage how they ascend—or risk decompression sickness, a condition that can cause joint pain, dizziness, and even life-threatening complications. It’s nicknamed “the bends,” and it’s one reason few people dare to venture so far down.
The diver went to a depth of 125 meters, which only lasted about five minutes. The second dive was only eight minutes, but even those brief visits meant hours of decompression just below the surface, according to Oceanographic Magazine.
Despite the danger, the chance to see a living fossil up close made it all worthwhile.
What’s Next for the Coelacanth?
Now that we know this ancient species still swims in Indonesian waters, conservationists hope this discovery will lead to more protection for deep-sea ecosystems—places rich with biodiversity but often overlooked.
To protect the species, the exact location of the sighting is being kept secret. Coelacanths are extremely sensitive to disturbance, and scientists fear that revealing their whereabouts could do more harm than good.
Still, Chappuis believes there could be more coelacanths nearby—just waiting to be discovered by those brave (and careful) enough to look.
Because if we’re lucky enough to glimpse a living fossil in our lifetime, the least we can do is make sure it has a future.
