Five underwater pillars found near Australia's mysterious Twelve Apostles

Australians will have to think differently about the Twelve Apostles, one of the country's most beloved natural wonders, located close to Victoria's Great Ocean Road.

Five underwater columns have been found near the original 12 spectacular limestone structures, which line the rugged coastline and have become famous for their proximity to one another. Researchers discovered the "drowned apostles" while mapping the sea floor using sonar, the University of Melbourne said in a statement.

 

 

Divers near the underwater apostles.

Located 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) offshore, the average depth of the submerged sea stacks is 60 metres (196.9 feet) below sea level.

As with the original 12, it's particularly remarkable the five smaller columns have been able to withstand the erosion caused by the Southern Ocean's waves and weather. A number of the Twelve Apostles have also collapsed over the years, thanks to the natural shaping of the coastline.

"Sea stacks are always eroding, as we saw with the one that collapsed in 2005, so it is hugely surprising that any could be preserved at that depth of water," associate professor David Kennedy from the University of Melbourne said in the statement. "They should have collapsed and eroded as the sea level rose."

Scientists believe the limestone pillars were once part of a larger sea cliff that wore away over thousands of years. PhD student Rhiannon Bezore, who helped discover the hidden structures, added they could possibly be more than 60,000 years old.

Too bad you'll need some scuba gear to see them.