The Return of the Coelacanth: Blancpain-backed Expedition Discovers First Living "Dinosaur Fish" in the Maluku Archipelago, Indonesia

Once believed to have vanished 70 million years ago, the elusive "Dinosaur Fish" or "Raja Laut" ("King of the Sea" in local Indonesian language), has once again revealed itself, allowing Alexis Chappuis and UNSEEN Expeditions to bring back the first images of this species (Latimeria menadoensis) ever taken by divers in its natural habitat. Following Laurent Ballesta’s legendary encounter with the West Indian Ocean species, in South Africa in 2013, this new chapter – once again proudly supported by Blancpain – is a breathtaking reminder that the ocean remains largely unknown and that exploration is as relevant as ever. The expedition is part of a collaborative effort with international and local scientific partners, including Pattimura (Ambon) and Udayana (Bali) Universities.

Coelacanths are lobe-finned fish that have been around for over 400 million years. They live at depths of 120 to 700 meters. Coelacanths have a vestigial lung and special fins that move like limbs. They give birth to live young, with embryos developing inside the mother during nearly 5 years. They might live up to 100 years. Coelacanths are closely related to animals like lungfish and tetrapods, making them one of humans' closest marine relatives.
Thought extinct since 70 million years, coelacanths were rediscovered in 1938. To date, two species are known: the West Indian Ocean Coelacanth, Latimeria chalumnae, which Laurent Ballesta studied and documented in 2013, and the Sulawesi (or Indonesian) Coelacanth, L. menadoensis, which Alexis Chappuis recently photographed. Coelacanths are on the IUCN Red List. The West Indian Ocean species is listed as “critically endangered”, while the Indonesian species as “vulnerable”.

Coelacanths are flagship species that bring local and international attention to conservation efforts. Creating Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) will safeguard coelacanth habitats and preserve the entire ecosystem, benefiting diverse marine life. The coelacanth, often mistakenly called a "living fossil" or "dinosaur fish" had been known from fossils dated back to more than 400 million years – way before dinosaurs – and was thought to be extinct until 1938, when a specimen was discovered in a fishing net off the coast of South Africa. This marked one of the biggest Natural History discoveries of the 20th century.

In 2013, renowned diver and longstanding Blancpain partner Laurent Ballesta together with his team became the first divers to study and document living coelacanths in their natural habitat. Today, Alexis Chappuis, leader of UNSEEN Expeditions, has achieved a similar milestone by being the first diver to photograph the Indonesian species. Overcoming the extreme technical challenges of deep mixed-gas diving, both teams captured unique in situ images of the two known living species of coelacanths, at -120 and -145 meters. For just a few minutes at these depths, divers need hours of decompression, floating a few meters beneath the surface, in the open ocean.

Since 2020, Blancpain has been supporting a long-term collaboration led by Alexis Chappuis and UNSEEN Expeditions, along with international and local scientific partners, to document the largely unexplored mesophotic zone and eventually discover potential coelacanth habitats. In this context, the discovery of the very first coelacanth of the Maluku archipelago adds crucial knowledge to the distribution of the Indonesian species Latimeria menadoensis, aiding in the understanding and conservation of this ancient lineage. (Read the full scientific publication here.)

This monumental find not only enriches our understanding of marine biodiversity but also evokes a profound sense of wonder and excitement among scientists and conservationists worldwide. Coelacanths being especially sensitive to external perturbations, the exact locality of the discovery will remain confidential until further studies are conducted, and better protections are in place.

Alexis Chappuis, Marine Biologist & Leader of UNSEEN Expeditions, said : 
“We didn't tell Blancpain and our partners that we were going to find the coelacanth. We told them we would explore potential coelacanth habitats. It's becoming increasingly challenging to find reliable, long-term partners who support this kind of project.”

Dr. Gino Valentino Limmon, researcher at Pattimura University and Alexis’ counterpart on this project, emphasized :  “This discovery highlights the rich biodiversity of North Maluku and underscores the urgency of further exploration and conservation of the mesophotic zone.”

Marc A. Hayek, President & CEO of Blancpain, stated : 
"Blancpain is proud to support bold scientific projects that lead, inspire, and have positive impact on global marine conservation. Following Laurent Ballesta's milestone in 2013, we are very proud of this discovery, which reaffirms our commitment to these efforts since more than two decades."