Scientists say they've discovered a "mega coral" three times bigger than the previous record holder - so huge they initially thought it was a shipwreck.

Exclusive photos reveal a sprawling, 300-year-old coral near Solomon Islands, recently discovered by the National Geographic Society’s Pristine Seas expedition team.

Scientists have discovered the largest single coral ever recorded – so big that they had originally thought it was a long-forgotten shipwreck. The “mega coral” – which is a network of small creatures that together form one huge organism rather than a reef – was found near the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific.

Scientists say they have discovered the world's largest coral — measuring longer than a blue whale — on an expedition in Solomon Islands.

Scientists say they've discovered a "mega coral" three times bigger than the previous record holder - so huge they initially thought it was a shipwreck.

Scientists say they have found the world's largest coral near the Pacific's Solomon Islands, announcing Thursday a major discovery "pulsing with life and colour".

The mega-coral measures 34 metres by 32 metres – making it larger than a blue whale – and it is thought to be three centuries old

In a stunning discovery, the world’s largest coral has been found thriving in the Solomon Islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean. Reportedly, this massive coral colony could be over 300 years old. A videographer on a National Geographic expedition discovered the coral in the remote Pacific Ocean.