Whales in Egypt The Western Desert
By Jeroen Peters, Shell Oil
Photo 1
Egypt is a highly popular tourist destination, with the fabulous monuments situated within and along the Nile Valley attracting much attention. In particular the Giza pyramids, consisting of millions of large blocks of Tertiary limestone (rich in nummulites), draw large numbers of visitors. However, few of the tourists visiting the Giza area see anything more of the huge - and scenically attractive - Western Desert than the dry, partly sand-covered limestone plateau along the western bank of the Nile on which the pyramids stand. This is unfortunate since at a distance of less than 200 km to the southwest of Giza there is a very impressive fossil site named ‘Whale Valley’ where well-preserved fossil whales and other fossils can be visited in a scenic desert environment.
Photo 2
Nowadays Whale Valley is relatively easy to reach on a day-trip from Cairo. After driving on the blacktop road along the south side of the Qarun lake in the Fayoum depression (ca. 100 km from Cairo), the road continues further westward to the Wadi Ryan nature reserve (ca. 60 km further on) where entry tickets can be purchased at the park entrance. Just before the end of the black top road at Wadi Ryan itself, one can turn off to the right, and drive northwestward on a new graded road which leads in ca. 35 km to the hilly terrain around Whale Valley. This part of the Western Desert is characterised by flatlying colourful Tertiary sediments of Eocene and Oligocene age with beautiful erosional patterns and wind-sculptured rocks (Photo 1). In this area the remains of more than 400 fossil whales have been found, of which several are very well preserved (Photo 2). These whale fossils, which were first described in 1904, form the main attraction in a protected site that was established recently.
Photo 3
Upon arrival at Whale Valley one can leave the car at the parking area near the tented ranger camp or, if using a 4-wheel drive vehicle, drive for another kilometer or so into the spectacular wind-blasted hills (Photo 3) where several of the bigger whale fossils – some with a length of up to 6 m or more - are situated. In addition to the whale bones, many other fossils occur in these shallow to marginal marine deposits, including nummulites, fish remains, shark and ray teeth, as well as mangrove roots (Photo 4). Elsewhere in the hills around Whale Valley fossil wood and small ‘desert roses’ (gypsum crystals) can be found. Obviously, the collection of fossils is strictly prohibited within the new park, and whale fossils are protected throughout the region, but in the wide areas surrounding the park there are plenty of locations where such fossils can be found.
Photo 4
Please note that in the summer the temperature rises regularly to more than 40 degrees Celcius in the Western Desert so this is not the best period to visit Whale Valley. In view of the remoteness of the area, do not venture out on your own – going with two vehicles or more is a must. A trip to Whale Valley can easily be combined with sightseeing in the Fayoum depression and/or the Nile valley south of Cairo, where the big pyramids of Meidum and Sakkara are major attractions. An excellent guide book for the Whale Valley area, prepared for the AAPG Conference held in 2002 in Cairo, can be downloaded from (www.searchanddiscovery.com/documents/cairo/images/cairo_sml.pdf).
Acknowledgements : thanks to John Dolson (now TNKBP Moscow) for providing key information, and to Jim Bloomfield and Erik Goodwin (both Shell Egypt) for taking me around.