A primeval underwater forest in Gulf of Mexico, which was buried under sediments, has been found by scuba divers.

Ben Raines, who was one of the first divers to explore the fauna rich place, said that for more than 50,000 years, the Bald Cypress forest remained protected in an oxygen-free environment; he asserted that it was probably uncovered by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Discovery News reported.

He said that forest has such well-preserved trees that when they are cut they still smell like fresh Cypress sap.

The forest is about 18 metres below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico and covers an area of at least 0.8 kilometers, several miles from the coast of Mobile, Alabama.

Raines had been chatting up with a pal, who mentioned that a local fisherman had found a place that was teeming with fish and wildlife and suspected that something big was hidden below.

The diver scuba dived and found a forest of Cypress trees and told Raines about his find.