The Valley of the Whales

The Valley of the Whales, also known as Wadi El-Hitan, is a palaeontological site located in the Western Desert of Egypt past the green parenthesis of the Fayum oasis.

It became famous as one of the world's most important sites for whale fossils.

This valley, once an ancient sea, is home to a large number of fossil remains of whales and other marine animals that lived millions of years ago.

The fossils found in the Valley of the Whales have provided valuable information about the evolution and history of these marine mammals.

One of the most remarkable features of the Valley of the Whales are the fossilised whale skeletons found in a horizontal position, suggesting that these animals were stranded and preserved in that position over time.

The site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 because of its scientific importance and its value in understanding the evolution of whales.

The valley began to be explored and studied in the 1900s by international scientific expeditions.

The first records of whale fossils in the area date back to the early 20th century.

Various researchers and teams of palaeontologists have contributed to the identification and study of the fossils found in the Valley of the Whales.