Valley of the whales Egypt
The wander valley of the whales
It is one of the most extraordinary places on earth as it has many fossils of whales that date back to 40 million years ago. The significance of the area is that it shows the evolution of the whales from land-dwelling animals to sea-going mammals and it was designated by UNISCO as a world heritage area
The valley of the whales reveals a whole unknown side of Egypt.
This site has a wonderful, contemporary museum that was constructed in 2016, showing some of the best examples of exhibits and descriptions. Descriptions are written in Arabic and English. The restroom area is up-to-date, with all essential facilities.
The main importance of the valley of the whales
1- because it is the only place that has skeletons for whales with limbs that shows transaction of the whales from land-based animal to ocean going mammals
2- it is very clear example for the climate change as this remote desert was full of underwater life millions years ago it just became very dry desert and all the sea life died
Where is Valley of the whales located?
in Egypt’s Western Desert is the only place in the world where the skeletons of families of archaic whales can be seen in their original geological sites.
The fossils of Wadi El-Hitan were first found in 1902 by H. J. L. Beadnell of the Geological Survey of Egypt and it was by chance. Between 1983 and 2007, nine expeditions were conducted by Egyptian and American paleontologists. The expedition teams located and mapped about 400 whale and sea cow skeletons in the valley. During the 1989 expedition, the first fully aquatic whale specimens with legs and feet were uncovered.
The ancient whales of Wadi El-Hitan are an important link in the evolution of whales. Fully aquatic Basilosaurus and Dourdan with their tiny legs and feet demonstrate that the transition from land to water was successful.
you can discover the secrets of this mysterious valley with us in a private tour.
Written by ATW updated June 2024
