Wadi El Rayan Protected Area

 

Geographical aspects:
Wadi El-Rayan depression is located in the western desert of Egypt, about 65 km southwest of the town of El-Fayoum and 80 km west of the Nile River.                       The Area is composed of: 

  • Upper lake (50.90 km2)
  • Lower lake (62.00 km2)                                                                                                                                     

  • Falls between the two lakes
  • Springs, of which three are sulfur springs at the southern side of the lower lake, with extensive mobile sand dunes.
  • Jabal Manqueer Al-Rayan at the south and southeast of the springs where marine fossils and archeological remains are found.
  • Jabal Madwera near the lower lake, which is known for its extensive dune formations.

Flora:
The vegetation is confined to inter-dune areas around springs and at the base of large dunes. The vegetation cover is made of 13 species of perennial plants and a few individuals of Calligonum Como sum and Zygophyllum album.

Fauna: 
The area is especially important, it accommodates the world's only known population of the endangered Slender-horned Gazella leptoceros. The Dorcas Gazelle is still found in the area in small numbers while both the Fennec Vulpes zerda and, Sand Fox . .

 

 

 

 

The valley of the whales:

Trip to valley of the whales, located 60 south of Wadi EL-Rian in El-Fayoum Oasis. This is around 150 km from southwest of Cairo. “It is a Protected and a natural Heritage area.

The area is characterized by its integrated desert environment, consisting of different wild animals and important and various sea fossils.

  The area is also characterized by the existence of movable sand dunes , four natural sulfuric springs , plant groups that contain 15 species of desert plants and about 15 types of wild mammals like the white deer, the Egyptian deer, fennec fox ( sand fox ), red fox and others , and 16 species of reptiles , and over 100 species of resident and migrating birds.

  The place we went to, is called valley of  the whales ( WADI EL-HITAN )  also known for scientists as the Zeuglodon Valley, have been discovered in 1936, it is located 35 KM west of the wadi El-Ryian, right deep into the desert western desert, is It is an area of fossils; considered as an open museum, dates back to 45 million years and contains petrified primitive whales skeletons , shark teeth , shells and roots of Mangroves preserved in soft rocks. Everywhere you go here you find petrified seashell and corals.  You will need a good 4*4 car to reach this amazing place   

  There we found an expedition from University of Michigan that was digging and had discovered a large walking whale. 

  The University of Michigan had done some earlier digging there in 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, and 1993, during which time some 400 archaeocete and sirenian skeletons were found and mapped.

 This time they came back  with professor PHILIP D. GINGERICH Professor of Paleontology, Professor of Geological Sciences, Professor of Biology, Professor of Anthropology, Director, Museum of Paleontology — The University of Michigan of  a very experienced geologist. Had the pleasure of meeting him on site he was so kind to let me know what is the new discovery about
 

 Anyway, the new whale is around 44 million years old!

This whale once had feet and used to walk on the shore before getting into the water, the oldest and most primitive walking whale had been uncovered in Pakistan; Pakicetus lived 50 million years ago. However, in the valley of whales, this is the first time we find this walking whale in any part of Africa and this time it was found in this remote barren site of Wadi El-hitan.

  The whale is called Ambulocetus natans, moved easily between land and sea. Roughly, the size of a walrus, this primitive whale inhabited coastal environments. These new fossils also provide insight into how these animals got around.