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Diver Discovers Ancient Underwater Forest Off Coast Of England

Ancient Underwater Forest Discovered
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By 

Senior Science Editor, The Huffington Post

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What's it like to discover a prehistoric forest--one that's been hidden under water for thousands of years?

Dawn Watson knows first-hand. The 45-year-old scuba diver was exploring the waters off a tiny village near Holt along England's eastern coast (see map) last year when she found herself surrounded by what turned out to be the remnants of ancient oak trees.

"I couldn't believe what I was seeing at first, I'm absolutely thrilled," Watson said in a written statement. "The sea was quite rough by the shore so I decided to dive slightly further out and after swimming over 300 meters of sand I found a long blackened ridge."

(Story continues below photo.)

Dawn Watson exploring the prehistoric forest in the North Sea off the English coastal village of Cley next the Sea.

The ruined forest is an otherworldly realm--one that Watson's diving partner, Rob Spray, likened to J.R.R. Tolkien's fantastical Middle Earth. It was part of "Doggerland," a land mass that connected what's now known as Great Britain to mainland Europe during the last Ice Age--before it was flooded by the North Sea, BBC reported.

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Before You Go

Incredible Underwater Photos
Feast For The Eyes(01 of11)
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Peeling back layers of the ocean would reveal a feast for the eyes, with brilliant colors and dazzling body forms. These visual delights come to life in the annual underwater photography contest hosted by the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science. In 2012, their panel of experts chose winners from more than 700 entries, with this dashing headshield sea slug photo taken by Ximena Olds (Florida) taking home the "best overall" award. Olds photographed the creature in St. Thomas of the U.S. Virgin Islands. (credit:Live Science: Ximena Olds)
Harlequin Beauty(02 of11)
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Phillip Gillette of Florida won second place in the "best student entry" category with his shot of this harlequin shrimp, Hymenocera picta, hiding out in the Similan Islands, Thailand. (credit:Phillip Gillette: Live Science)
Big Baby(03 of11)
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Though this animal doesn't look like a tot, indeed the behemoth is just a babe, a juvenile sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). The photo, taken in Dominica by Douglas Kahle of Florida took home first place in the animal portrait category. (credit:Live Science: Douglas Kahle)
Dainty Crab(04 of11)
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Davide Lopresti of Spain captured this porcelain crab hanging out on a feathery sea pen in Komodo National Park, Indonesia. The photo won second place in the macro category. (credit:Live Science: David Lopresti)
Bold Fish(05 of11)
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Who you lookin' at? This overdressed scorpionfish, the paddle flap Rhinopias (Rhinopias eschmeyeri) stole the show with its good looks, snagging second place in the "fish or marine animal portrait" category. Rockford Draper of Texas shot the portrait in Bali, Indonesia. (credit:Live Science: Rockford Draper)
Nudi...Branch(06 of11)
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This nudibranch ( Cratena peregrina) won third place in the animal portrait category. It was taken by Nicholas Samaras of Greece in Chalkidiki, Greece. This species is distinguished by two bright-orange marks at the base and tip of each of its tentacle-like structures called rhinophores. C. peregrina is argued to be hermaphrodite. (credit:Live Science: Nicholas Samaras)
Mangrove Madness(07 of11)
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Matt Potenski of New Jersey took home second place in the wide angle category for his photo of a school of fish swimming in their home of red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) in South Bimini, Bahamas. (credit:Live Science: Matt Potenski)
Shocking Shrimp(08 of11)
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Snagging third place in the Macro category: an Emperor shrimp, Periclimenes imperator taken by Marcello DiFrancesco (Italy) in Ambon, Indonesia. (credit:Live Science: Marcello DiFrancesco)
Wide Angle(09 of11)
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First place in the Wide Angle category went to this Lionfish, a species in the genus Pterois, in the Red sea, taken by Mark Fuller from Israel. (credit:Live Science: Mark Fuller)
Fan Favorite(10 of11)
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This amazing jellyfish photograph received nearly half of the 1,221 online votes in the underwater photography contest. The photo was taken by Todd Aki from Florida. (credit:Live Science: Todd Aki)
Cute Gobies(11 of11)
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Taking home first place in the Macro category, Canadian Todd Mintz's photo of these cute-as-can-be yellownose gobies, Elacatinus randalli, peering out from bolder brain coral in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean. (credit:Live Science: Todd Mintz)
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