Explore / Africa / North Africa
North Africa, Faiyum
Wadi El-Hitan
Valley of the Whales
Fossil site Source-confirmed findsProhibited, look only
What you could find
Reported finds from this ground.
Shark teeth
FossilsAlso reported: eyes-only: complete whale skeletons in situ.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Dominik Vogt (CC BY-SA 3.0), Partonez (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Why this spot
Rockhounding locality: UNESCO World Heritage desert valley with hundreds of Eocene whale skeletons (Basilosaurus, Dorudon) weathering out of the sand, the world's key site for whale evolution
UNESCO and Wikipedia document about 1,500 marine vertebrate fossil skeletons including walking-whale hind limbs; strictly a look-only site
Before you go
Hazards noted for this site.
remote 4WD desert approachExtreme summer heat, no water
go with a Fayum-based operator
Keep exploring nearby
More spots in this area.