Wadi El-Hitan is more of an open-air museum displaying rare gigantic fossils of ancient whales and sharks proving that some 40 to 50 million years ago, the area was submerged in the waters of what is known as the Tethys Sea.
After lying trapped in the Western Desert sands , the fossil skeletons have been revealed by winds and erosion, and thanks to human intervention through a number of ongoing archaeological excavations sponsored by the National Geographic Society and by the University of Michigan.
The landscapes surrounding the valley are just as impressive and amazing as the discoveries gigantic sand rocks, mountains, dunes and hills. Try to visit the valley around sunset for a magical experience; the views and the colours are just amazing at that time of the day.
The Valley is part of the WRPA ''Wadi El-Rayan Protected Area'' and it has also been added in 2005 to the UNESCO's World Heritage List for its unique natural beauty and scientific significance.
Wadi El-Hitan
On other hand, the Valley contains invaluable fossil remains. These fossils represent one of the major stories of evolution: the emergence of the whale as an ocean-going mammal from a previous life as a land-based animal. This is the most important site in the world for the demonstration of this stage of evolution.
It portrays vividly the form and life of these whales during their transition. The number, concentration and quality of such fossils here is unique, as is their accessibility and setting in an attractive and protected landscape.
The fossils of Al-Hitan show the youngest archaeocetes, in the last stages of losing their hind limbs. Other fossil material in the site makes it possible to reconstruct the surrounding environmental and ecological conditions of the time.
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