Do you think visiting 6000-year-old tombs and temples is like peeking into the past? Try Wadi El Hitan National Protectorate and watch whales that are 40 million years old! Wadi Al-Hitan, 150 miles southwest of Cairo, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that contains relics of the ancient Tethys Sea when Egypt was flooded and sea cows, crocodiles, and turtles swam. But it is most well known for providing an insight into the evolution of whales.
Whale relatives roamed on land and hunted in shallow waters fifty million years ago, much like sea otters do now. For the following 10 million years, Archaeoceti (ancient whales) adopted a more marine lifestyle. The Wadi El Hitan Fossil and Climate Change Museum opened in 2016 and features outstanding displays in English and Arabic that describe the area’s climatic changes over time and how land-based animals evolved to return to the sea. The fossils, on the other hand, aren’t only on exhibit. Along a walking route covered with invertebrate fossils and bone fragments, whole skeletons of Basilosaurus and Dorudon are on exhibit, some of which still have little hind limbs not found in current whales.
Up until 2022, Wadi El Hitan had only approximately 1000 visitors per year since the only way to get there was by 4WD vehicle over a sand-blown road; however, the route was paved in April 2022, allowing the place to attract more people.
The Climate Change and Fossil Museum
The biggest “Basilosaurus isis” whale fossil and a unique collection of fossils found nowhere else in the world may be discovered in the Modern Wadi Hitan Fossil and Climate Change Museum. Over millions of years, climatic change converted Wadi El Hitan from a sea to a hyper-arid desert. The museum’s mission is to create public awareness about climate change and how to mitigate its harmful consequences for the environment and people. The museum was built by the UN Development Programme in collaboration with the Egyptian government and with financial support from the Italian government as part of a larger set of initiatives to support the conservation of protected areas, promote eco-tourism, and promote sustainable development, which connects environmental protection and the sustainable use of natural resources.
Make the Most of Your Visit to Wadi El Hitan
Take the greatest trip to Wadi El Hitan with Egypt Fun Tours and a team of professional tour guides and tour leaders who will make your trip unforgettable and too much fun. The greatest Wadi El Hitan excursions are with us.
Hello
Please, what is the price of the Wadi Hitan day trip for one person?
Thank you
Patrick Joussef