Wadi el Hitan, Egypt (Valley of the Whales)

[Allosaurus]

I had the privilege to visit a famed UNESCO world heritage site last month called Wadi el Hitan, aka Valley of the Whales in Egypt. It's considered an open air museum, so it features an indoor rotunda style mini museum and then a set of trails that wind around the desert where you can see skeletons of whales eroding out on the surface of the earth. The site is near Fayoum in Egypt, so a bit over an hour or so outside of Cairo. It's a lesser known area, so most tourists miss this beautiful place and don't even know it exists. It can get toasty here (most of Egypt was in the upper 90s to low 100s when I visited), so if you plan to visit then dress accordingly in lightweight, cooling clothes that protect your skin. As it is a protected site, it should go without saying that this was a no collecting sort of trip (aside from photo collection). But just seeing these things was enough. 

 

The little museum there is VERY well put together. And I mean that. The arrangement, info placards, and assortment of fossils shown is nicer than many smaller museums Ive visited in the States. The middle of the museum has 2 Basilosaurus isis skeletons circled around and facing each other while the sides have various informative posters and fossil displays. You'll see fossils of whales, sharks, ammonoids, crocodilians, other invertebrates, and mammals throughout. 

 

The trails are outside right next door to the indoor museum portion. The trails snake around the sandy dunes and rocky outcrops taking you to see breathtaking views, large skeletons of animals from Basilosaurus to Dorudon, and even some mangrove trees that were fossilized. Bits of oyster shell abound all over, so with little effort you should be able to identify them easily. The skeletons are right there and you stand next to them, literally inches away. I can't recommend this place enough. There is also a little cafe here as well that can supply drinks and (I assume) a small amount of food.

 

Although the site now is quite arid and is a desert, it was once a thriving and very wet coastal location with many inlets that supported a variety of animals. For those who enjoy invertebrates, there are gastropods, ammonoids, echinoids, nummulites, and more. For the vertebrate fans, numerous fossils of Archaeocete, turtles, sharks, sawfish, and more can be found here.

 

I wish I'd have had more time because I could have spent all day just here at Wadi el Hitan. But I had enough time to experience a place that is very important in paleontology and I am grateful for that. If you are interested in traveling to Egypt, I cant recommend it enough. The country is quite safe and the people are very friendly. Don't let the war happening in Gaza stop you from visiting as there is no war in Egypt. 

 

Now... on to the photos. 

 

 

[Allosaurus]

[Allosaurus]

[jpc]

Cool.  Thanks for the tour.  

[Yoda]

Fantastic. Thanks for showing 

[Neanderthal Shaman]

Amazing fossils, and amazing scenery