Wadi Al-hitan (Whale Valley)

Wadi Al-hitan, Whale Valley, in the Western Desert of Egypt, contains invaluable fossil remains of the earliest, and now extinct, suborder of whales, Archaeoceti. 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 their form and mode of life during their transition from land animals to a marine existence. It exceeds the values of other comparable sites in terms of the number, concentration and quality of its fossils, and their accessibility and setting in an attractive and protected landscape.

The number, concentration and quality of such fossils here are unique, as are 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.

In addition, a wider part of the Wadi El-rayan Protected Area is included in the property, including the immediate landscape surrounding the fossil sites, areas of scenic interest, and areas which provide visitor access and facilities. A buffer zone has been identified to protect the property from wider threats, including from visitation and traffic, and could be extended further to provide additional safeguards and to facilitate management.