Valley of the whales: - Wadi El hitan

Also known as ( zeugloden valley)

The valley of the whales, located 60 south of Wadi EL-Rian in El-Fayoum oasis. This is around 150 km from southwest of Cairo. The site today is a Protected area and a natural Heritage Site added in 2005 by the UNESCO as world heritage site.  The area is is characterized by its integrated desert environment, consisting of different wild animals and important and various sea fossils.

The area also is characterized by the existence of movable sand dunes, four natural sulfuric springs , plant groups that contain 15 species of desert plants and about 15 types of wild mammals like the white deer, the Egyptian deer, fennec fox ( sand fox ), red fox and others , and 16 species of reptiles , and over 100 species of resident and migrating birds.

The place we went to is called valley of the whales ( WADI EL-HITAN ) also known for scientists as the Zeuglodon Valley, have been discovered in 1936, it is located 35 KM west of the wadi El-Ryian, right deep into the desert western desert, is It is an area of fossils; considered as an open museum, dates back to 45 million years and contains petrified primitive whales skeletons, shark teeth , shells and roots of Mangroves preserved in soft rocks. Every where you go here you find petrified sea shell and corals. You will need a good 4*4 car to reach this amazing place! 

There we found an expedition from University of Michigan that was digging and had discovered a large walking whale. 

The university of Michigan had done some earlier digging there in 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, and 1993, during which time some 400 archaeocete and sirenian skeletons were found and mapped.

This time they came back with professor PHILIP D. GINGERICH a Professor of Paleontology, Professor of Geological Sciences, Professor of Biology, Professor of Anthropology, Director, Museum of Paleontology — The University of Michigan of a very experienced geologist. I had the pleasure of meeting him on site, and he was so kind to let me know what is the new discovery about, I was told that the new whale is around 44 million years old!!

This whale once had feet and used to walk on the shore before getting into the water, The oldest and most primitive walking whale had been uncovered in Pakistan; Pakicetus lived 50 million years ago. but in the valley of whales, this is the first time we find this walking whale in any part of Africa and this time it was found in this remote barren site of Wadi El-hitan.

The whale is called Ambulocetus natans, moved easily between land and sea. Roughly the size of a walrus, this primitive whale inhabited coastal environments. These new fossils also provide insight into how these animals got around. 

* Click on the thumbnail below to Enlarge! 

The new Discovery	The New Digging site	PHILIP D. GINGERICH Professor of Paleontology, Michigan university
Whale 1	Whale 2	Whale 3
An island 45 million years old	The vally site	Wadi El- Ryrian