Neymar, 33, was ending his contract with Brazil’s Santos in December 2025, but through an official statement, the club announced the extension of his contract until the end of the 2026 season.

“The Prince of Vila Belmiro stays home until 2026! Neymar Jr. renews his contract with Santos FC until the end of the season to continue writing his football history with the Sacred Mantle,” the club announced on its official website.

“I’m very happy as president and Santos fan,” said Marcelo Teixeira, president of Santos. “Having Neymar, our Prince, with us until the end of the year shows that our project to rebuild the Club and our football is going strong, respecting processes and consolidating credibility. We are on the right track.”

Last October, Sport reported that the former Paris Saint-Germain star no longer had interest from European clubs, and that Inter Miami “would love” to sign him. In the end, it seems there will be no reunion with Messi.

 

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What’s Next for Inter Miami?

Inter Miami is already working on what will be the 2026 season, in which it will no longer have big names like Jordi Alba or Sergio Busquets.

However, the Herons will continue to build around the undisputed leader of its project, Messi. The club’s priority is to surround the Argentine superstar with the best available talent in the transfer market.

The Argentine extended his contract with Inter Miami until 2028, so the Barcelona legend will remain a key piece both on the sporting side and in promotion for Miami Freedom Park, the club’s new stadium, which is set to open in 2026.

That said, the club’s front office is focused on the sporting side. It aims to provide head coach Javier Mascherano with a roster capable of contending for another MLS Cup and, for the first time, conquering the Concacaf Champions Cup.

The Italian, 45, left the club following an explosive row with the west London club’s owners, with a power struggle at the heart of his departure. 

Chelsea later briefed that a number of episodes left them unimpressed and questioned Maresca’s professionalism in a public slinging match.

And Maresca failed to mention his superiors as he posted a heartfelt message to his former plans and fans on Tuesday. 

‘“LEAVE THIS WORLD A LITTLE BETTER THAN YOU FOUND IT”,’ his Instagram post started.

‘My journey with Chelsea began with the preliminary rounds of the Conference League.

Enzo Maresca has broken his silence on his acrimonious exit from Chelsea

The Italian was dismissed on New Year’s Day and won two trophies with the Blues

‘I leave with the inner peace of leaving a prestigious club like Chelsea where it deserves to be.

‘I want to thank all the Chelsea fans for their support over the last 18 months.

‘Support that was crucial to achieving Champions League qualification, winning the Conference League, and winning the Club World Cup.

‘Victories that I will always hold in my heart!

‘A special thank you to all the players who have accompanied me on this wonderful journey.

‘I wish everyone who has shared every moment with me every success in this second half of the season and in the future.

‘Thank you, CHELSEA from me and my family.’

Maresca’ statement comes after Chelsea briefed that his behaviour was ‘unprofessional’ and ‘disrespectful’ in the final days of his tenure.

Liam Rosenior was confirmed as the club’s new head coach on Tuesday after Maresca’s exit

Three episodes appeared to upset the Blues hierarchy:  

– His decision to skip Tuesday’s post-match press conference citing illness. The club hierarchy believe he wasn’t ill, and found the move to be unprofessional, disrespectful and also unfair on Willy Caballero, who had to deputise. 

– His ignoring of medical advice on players returning from injury, and playing them for too long. 

– Reports linking Maresca with a return to Manchester City, where he had previously worked under Pep Guardiola.

They also claimed Maresca lacked ‘mental fortitude and emotional maturity.’

His exit follows a turbulent period which has seen the side win just one of their last seven Premier League  matches. Maresca’s last match was the 2-2 home draw with Bournemouth last Tuesday.

Liam Rosenior was confirmed as the club’s new head coach today, joining from fellow BlueCo club Strasbourg. 

The writing had been on the wall for Maresca after a spectacular outburst in which he claimed he had endured ‘his worst 48 hours’ following a victory over Everton. The announcement came after showdown talks between the manager and senior club officials.

It is thought that the claim related to serious friction between the manager and the medical department and a continuing difference of opinion over the management of injured players and their returns to action.

Officials were left seriously unimpressed with those public comments and a number of other episodes, including his decision to skip Tuesday’s post-match press conference citing illness.

The club hierarchy believe he wasn’t ill, and found the move to be unprofessional, disrespectful and also unfair on Willy Caballero, who had to deputise.

His ignoring of medical advice on players returning from injury, and playing them for too long, was also cited, along with reports linking Maresca with a return to Manchester City, where he had previously worked under Pep Guardiola.

The New York Yankees have addressed one of their most pressing vulnerabilities head-on, finalizing a $2.5 million, one-year contract with versatile utilityman Amed Rosario on Tuesday. This deal keeps the 30-year-old in pinstripes, providing much-needed balance to a roster that’s been heavily skewed toward left-handed hitters—a weakness that’s haunted the team against southpaws.

Rosario, acquired from the Washington Nationals on July 26 in exchange for right-hander Clayton Beeter and minor league outfielder Browm Martinez, made an immediate impact in his brief stint with the Yankees. Over 16 games and 33 at-bats, he batted .303 with one home run and five RBIs before hitting free agency after the World Series.

His positional flexibility is a boon for manager Aaron Boone, who can deploy Rosario at shortstop, second base, third base, or even right field. A potential platoon at third base with Ryan McMahon—traded from the Colorado Rockies on July 25—could be particularly effective. Rosario thrived against left-handed pitching last season, posting a .302 average and .819 OPS, compared to .231 and .614 OPS versus righties. McMahon, a lefty swinger in an already left-dominant lineup, struggled against same-sided pitchers with a .184 average and .534 OPS, but fared better against right-handers at .223 with a .739 OPS.

General manager Brian Cashman emphasized the strategic fit during the winter meetings: “I definitely want to give Aaron Boone some legitimate choices so he can match up when we’re facing the left-handed starter, ’cause obviously we’re so left-handed that it’s a vulnerability right now.”

Rosario, who celebrated his 30th birthday on November 20, brings a wealth of experience from his nine-year MLB career. He’s a career .273 hitter with 69 homers and 389 RBIs, having suited up for the New York Mets (2017-20), Cleveland (2021-23), Los Angeles Dodgers (2023-24), Tampa Bay (2024), Cincinnati (2024), Washington (2025), and now the Yankees.

The signing comes at a crucial time, with starting shortstop Anthony Volpe sidelined to start the season following arthroscopic surgery on October 14 to repair his left shoulder labrum. José Caballero, acquired from Tampa Bay on July 31, is expected to handle shortstop duties until Volpe’s return, projected no earlier than May.

With Rosario locked in, the Yankees have taken a decisive step to shore up their lineup, turning a potential Achilles’ heel into a strength as they gear up for the new season.

An astonishing medieval sword, unearthed from a riverbed in the Netherlands, is now capturing the imagination of archaeologists and museum goers alike. Dubbed the ‘Sword of Linschoten’, this nearly 1,000-year-old weapon is a superbly preserved piece of military craftsmanship, and bears some wonderful medieval symbolism – featuring sacred motifs that reflect the spiritual and cultural thinking of its time.

Discovery in the Clay

On March 1, 2024, workers dredging the Korte Linschoten River, just west of Utrecht, happened upon an object protruding from a lump of clay. What appeared to be an iron shard turned out to be an entire medieval sword, one meter long, with a wide cross guard and a Brazil nut-shaped pommel typical of the 11th and 12th centuries. Archaeologists date the find between 1050 and 1150 AD, when the Bishopric of Utrecht was a major power and the feudal territories of Holland and Flanders were on the rise.

According to a Rijksmuseum statement, the sword “was forged between approximately 1050 and 1150, probably in this region,” and was preserved “exceptionally well” thanks to the anaerobic (oxygen-poor) clay, which prevented corrosion for nearly a millennium.

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The complete sword, at 1 meter in length. (Ruben de Heer/RMO)

A Sacred Blade

The blade is double-edged and weighs approximately 900 grams (2lbs), but its most remarkable features are the symbols inlaid in copper alloy wire on both sides. One side bears the sun wheel (or sonnenrad), a sacred Christian symbol featuring a cross inside a circle, commonly used during the Middle Ages in church consecrations, especially in areas being newly converted to Christianity, explains La Brújula Verde.

The Christian sun wheel symbol on one side of the blade. (Ruben de Heer/RMO)

The other side presents a rarer and more ancient motif: the endless knot, made of five interlocking squares within a circle. According to experts, this emblem, prevalent in Viking and early Germanic cultures, represents eternal loyalty, protection, and unbreakable strength, notes Arkeonews. Its appearance on a Christian-era sword suggests a powerful fusion of pagan and Christian worldviews, characteristic of frontier regions during the High Middle Ages.

“This isn’t just a weapon, it’s a message in iron, preserved by the earth for nearly a millennium,” a Montfoort City Council spokesperson said in 2024.

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The endless knot symbol on the other side of the blade. (Ruben de Heer/RMO)

No Scabbard

The sword shows no signs of having been stored in a scabbard. Combined with its pristine state and symbolic detail, archaeologists theorize it was intentionally deposited in the river as a ritual offering, perhaps to sanctify the land or honor a fallen warrior.

When the sword entered the water, the region was still marshland in early stages of drainage and colonization, with no castle or manor house yet established at Linschoten, reported La Brújula Verde.

Such ritualistic deposition was common in the medieval world, where weapons often served not just martial, but ceremonial and spiritual functions. Whether buried with warriors or offered to deities, swords like this carried profound symbolic value.

From Marsh to Museum

In May 2025, the municipality of Montfoort and the Linschoten Estate donated the sword to the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (National Museum of Antiquities) in Leiden, where it is now on public display. Visitors can view it through August 2025 in the Acquisitions showcase, located in the Temple Hall behind the Egyptian temple-a freely accessible area of the museum.

Before going on display, the artifact underwent ten weeks of conservation treatment, including a salt extraction bath and tannin stabilization, to ensure its preservation after exposure to air.

“Its refined craftsmanship and symbolic depth make it not only a historical relic, but also a work of art that reflects the cultural complexity of early medieval Europe,” noted a Montfoort spokesperson according to Arkeonews.

Palaeontologists have uncovered a fossil that has preserved an insect inside a lizard inside a snake – a prehistoric battle of the food chain that ended in a volcanic lake some 48 million years ago.

Pulled from an abandoned quarry in southwest Germany called the Messel Pit, the fossil is only the second of its kind ever found, with the remains of three animals sitting snug in one another.

“It’s probably the kind of fossil that I will go the rest of my professional life without ever encountering again, such is the rarity of these things,” palaeontologist Krister Smith from Germany’s Senckenberg Institute told Michael Greshko at National Geographic. “It was pure astonishment.”

Smith and his team suspect that the iguana ate a shiny insect meal, and then two days later was swallowed headfirst by a juvenile snake. 

It’s unclear how the snake ultimately died, but what we do know is it got too close to the deep volcanic lake that once bubbled in the Messel Pit, and was either poisoned or suffocated by the toxic fumes.

Its corpse likely slid into the lake after death, where the Russian doll of skeletons was preserved perfectly for millions of years.

Rare ‘Nesting Doll’ Fossil Uncovers Beetle in Lizard in Snake. Snake with lizard and beetle: The rare tripartite fossil food chain from the Messel Pit.

A beetle inside a reptile inside a snake.

“To see this kind of trophic scale recorded within the gut of a snake is a very cool thing,” UK palaeontologist Jason Head from the University of Cambridge, who wasn’t involved with the study, told National Geographic.

While the combination of snake-lizard-bug is entirely unique in the fossil record, this isn’t the first time a prehistoric turducken has been discovered. 

Back in 2008, Austrian researchers found a 250-million-year-old fossil that had preserved a shark that had eaten some kind of amphibian that had eaten a small fish. 

It’s far more fragmentary than the Messel Pit fossil, but it was the first real indication that the food web of the time was far more complex than researchers had thought.

If anywhere is likely to be harbouring more of these types of fossils, it’s the Messel Pit, which in the past has served up the now notorious Darwinius masillae fossil, a fossilised beetle with its turquoise iridescence largely intact, and two turtles caught in the middle of doing, erm, turtle things…

The best-preserved fossils in the world from the Eocene epoch, which ran from around 56 to 34 million years ago, have been found here, and Smith and his team are already planning another trip back.

“This fossil is amazing,” says one of the researchers, Agustín Scanferla. “We were lucky men to study this kind of specimen.”

The find has been published in Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments.

Officials characterized the incident as an accident, stating the trainer had fallen into the water. However, eyewitnesses reported the orca leaped up and grabbed her waist.

Audience members attending the orca show were evacuated while rescue workers attempted unsuccessfully to save the victim.

This marked the third human death associated with the whale named Tilikum. In 1991, Tilikum was involved in a trainer’s death in Canada.

Other orcas at SeaWorld were also reported to have attacked trainers in 2004 and 2006.

“One of our most experienced animal trainers drowned in the incident,” said SeaWorld director Dan Brown, adding that an investigation was underway.

Jim Solomons, spokesperson for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, said the trainer “appeared to have slipped or fallen in the water, but it’s too early to say whether the orca attacked her.”

However, witnesses described the whale attacking the trainer. Visitor Victoria Biniak told a local TV station the incident happened just after Brancheau finished introducing the upcoming show to the audience.

“The whale jumped up, grabbed the trainer by her waist, and began pulling her under. The last thing we saw were her shoes floating up,” Biniak said.

Due to Tilikum’s size and prior fatal incidents, trainers were prohibited from entering the water with this orca. Only about 12 of the park’s 29 trainers worked with Tilikum. Brancheau had the most experience collaborating with this whale and was one of SeaWorld’s most seasoned trainers.

A seпse of fear aпd coпfυsioп has gripped a city as a mᴀssive UFO-like machiпe has beeп spotted hoveriпg above its skyliпe, castiпg aп eerie shadow over the streets below. The υпideпtified flyiпg object, estimated to be hυпdreds of feet iп diameter, appeared early yesterday morпiпg, leaviпg resideпts iп shock aпd aυthorities scrambliпg to υпderstaпd its origiпs.

Eyewitпesses report seeiпg the eпormoυs craft sileпtly hoveriпg at a low alтιтυde, with bright, pυlsatiпg lights that seemed to shift across its sυrface. Local aυthorities qυickly cordoпed off the area, υrgiпg citizeпs to stay iпdoors aпd avoid the viciпity of the craft. Despite attempts to make coпtact, пo commυпicatioп or explaпatioп has beeп received from the machiпe, which has sparked widespread specυlatioп aboυt its pυrpose.

Scieпtists aпd experts have beeп qυick to weigh iп, with maпy sυggestiпg that the machiпe coυld be a prodυct of advaпced space techпology, poteпtially from aп extraterrestrial civilizatioп. “The size aпd strυctυre of the craft are υпlike aпythiпg we’ve seeп before,” said Dr. Heleп Carter, aп aerospace eпgiпeer. “If this is hυmaп-made, it’s a breakthroυgh iп techпology that we’re пot yet aware of. If it’s пot, theп it raises eveп more qυestioпs aboυt life beyoпd Earth.”

Goverпmeпts aroυпd the world are closely moпitoriпg the sitυatioп, with space ageпcies aпd military forces oп high alert. While there is пo immediate iпdicatioп of hostile iпteпt, the UFO’s sileпt aпd proloпged preseпce has fυeled fears of aп impeпdiпg iпvasioп or, at the very least, aп υпkпowп extraterrestrial eveпt.

As пight falls, the city remaiпs iп a state of heighteпed teпsioп, with resideпts reportiпg straпge pheпomeпa sυch as disrυpted commυпicatioпs aпd electrical power sυrges. Local aυthorities are advisiпg calm, bυt with пo clear aпswers or explaпatioпs, the fear of the υпkпowп coпtiпυes to domiпate the atmosphere.

The mysterioυs appearaпce of the UFO has reigпited global discυssioпs oп space exploratioп, the possibility of alieп life, aпd the limits of hυmaп techпology. As experts coпtiпυe to stυdy the craft from a distaпce, the qυestioп remaiпs: Is this a пew chapter iп hυmaп υпderstaпdiпg of the υпiverse, or the begiппiпg of somethiпg far more υпsettliпg?

Eyewitпesses report seeiпg the eпormoυs craft sileпtly hoveriпg at a low alтιтυde, with bright, pυlsatiпg lights that seemed to shift across its sυrface. Local aυthorities qυickly cordoпed off the area, υrgiпg citizeпs to stay iпdoors aпd avoid the viciпity of the craft. Despite attempts to make coпtact, пo commυпicatioп or explaпatioп has beeп received from the machiпe, which has sparked widespread specυlatioп aboυt its pυrpose.

Scieпtists aпd experts have beeп qυick to weigh iп, with maпy sυggestiпg that the machiпe coυld be a prodυct of advaпced space techпology, poteпtially from aп extraterrestrial civilizatioп. “The size aпd strυctυre of the craft are υпlike aпythiпg we’ve seeп before,” said Dr. Heleп Carter, aп aerospace eпgiпeer. “If this is hυmaп-made, it’s a breakthroυgh iп techпology that we’re пot yet aware of. If it’s пot, theп it raises eveп more qυestioпs aboυt life beyoпd Earth.”td

Goverпmeпts aroυпd the world are closely moпitoriпg the sitυatioп, with space ageпcies aпd military forces oп high alert. While there is пo immediate iпdicatioп of hostile iпteпt, the UFO’s sileпt aпd proloпged preseпce has fυeled fears of aп impeпdiпg iпvasioп or, at the very least, aп υпkпowп extraterrestrial eveпt.

As пight falls, the city remaiпs iп a state of heighteпed teпsioп, with resideпts reportiпg straпge pheпomeпa sυch as disrυpted commυпicatioпs aпd electrical power sυrges. Local aυthorities are advisiпg calm, bυt with пo clear aпswers or explaпatioпs, the fear of the υпkпowп coпtiпυes to domiпate the atmosphere.

The mysterioυs appearaпce of the UFO has reigпited global discυssioпs oп space exploratioп, the possibility of alieп life, aпd the limits of hυmaп techпology. As experts coпtiпυe to stυdy the craft from a distaпce, the qυestioп remaiпs: Is this a пew chapter iп hυmaп υпderstaпdiпg of the υпiverse, or the begiппiпg of somethiпg far more υпsettliпg?

The have a combined value of over $190,000

The lucky prospector has chosen to remain anonymous for security reasons

Ray Swinnerton, the president of the Bendigo Prospecting Club, said it was a highly unusual find

A young father has hit the jackpot after digging up two giant gold nuggets worth nearly $200,000.

The natural pieces of treasure were discovered on a private property in Tarnagulla, near Bendigo, north of Melbourne and have a combined weight of nearly 140 ounces.

Ray Swinnerton, Vice President of the Bendigo Prospecting Club, said he had met the lucky prospector, who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons, and not surprisingly was ‘overjoyed’.

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The 65 ounce nugget of Tarnagulla gold, one of two found by a young father on his private property, is worth almost $90,000

The second nugget was 72 ounces and has a street value of more than $100,000

Ray Swinnerton, Vice President of the Bendigo Prospecting Club, said the young father was overjoyed about his discovery

‘He was thrilled when he found it, as you can imagine. He makes a living from this stuff, so a find like that is very exciting,’ Mr Swinnerton said.

‘He didn’t want to be named until he had sold them off. He’s fairly young and it’s obviously a fair bit of money we’re talking about.

‘It was very unusual. Most of the finds are smaller than a fingernail, so this one is pretty special.’

Mr Swinnerton added that gold mining was more of a hobby for most people.

‘Most of us don’t do this for the money. Gold detecting is very expensive,’ he said.

‘The detector alone is about $7000. I suppose it’s like fishing, in that it’s usually cheaper to go and buy your fish than the costs of catching the fish. We mostly do this for the experience, so a find like that is the bonus of a lifetime.’

Selling the gold can also be difficult because a licence is needed to sell to overseas buyers.

‘I believe he has sold one of the nuggets and is preparing to sell the other. To sell gold overseas you need to get a licence which is very difficult to obtain, so it can take a while to sell them within Australia, as there are more affluent people overseas,‘ Mr Swinnerton said.

+A Bendigo Prospecting Club member handles the 72 ounce nugget (103 ounces including the rock)

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The crowd at the Tarnagulla Key hunt swoop in for a look at the impressive findings

THIS is the jaw-dropping moment a UFO appeared to soar across the sky during a solar eclipse as spectators screamed “what the f*** was that?”.

The crowd had gathered in Arlington, Texas, to watch the solar spectacle unfold but ended up getting far more than they bargained for.

A crowd who had gathered to watch a solar eclipse saw a UFOCredit: Twitter

They could be heard shouting as they saw the object fly across the skyCredit: Twitter

A solar eclipse is where the sun is fully or partially covered by the moonCredit: Rex

Footage widely shared on social media appears to show the unknown dark object – shaped like a disc or cigar – moving amongst the clouds.

It shoots across the screen, disappearing beneath the cloud whisps, before then emerging again.

One person can be heard screaming: “Woah there’s something flying through the air what the f*** was that.”

Meanwhile, another shouts: “It’s aliens it’s aliens.”

A total eclipse plunged North America into darkness on April 8 – enchanting millions with the spectacle and sparking wild conspiracy theories.

The clip has gone viral, being posted on Reddit and X and viewed thousands of times.

And it comes amid a time UFOs remain a H๏τ topic among lawmakers in Washington DC.

The video has caused a stir – but while some were excited by it others were more cynical.

The site is called Wadi Al Hitan, dubbed the Valley of Whales, located around 160 kilometers from the famous pyramids at Giza.

An ancient Egyptian desert, once a vast ocean, guards the secret of one of the most remarkable transformations in the evolution of life on planet Earth. Egypt is known as the land of Pyramids, Pharaohs, and golden sands. Countless jewels have been excavated from beneath Egypt’s sands, revealing a treasure trove of a time long gone. Archaeologists have discovered pyramids, temples, entire cities, and finds whose value is incalculable.

But there’s more to Egypt than the Sphinx, the Pharaohs, and its incredible pyramids; there is more to this wonderful land than the Valley of Kings. Some 160 kilometers southwest of the Pyramids at the Giza plateau is a treasure trove of history. No pyramids, temples, or mummies are buried there, but it is a site of great importance. Wadi Al Hitan was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. The reason? Hundreds of fossils of some of the earliest forms of whales, the archaeoceti (a now-extinct sub-order of whales), lie buried beneath the desert sand.

The story of Wadi Al Hitan

The story of Wadi Al Hitan is worthy of the most impressive tales. Some 40 million years ago (give or take a few), massive beasts swam in the vast prehistoric Tethys ocean. It was home to numerous creatures that have long since been forgotten. One of these massive animals, over 50 feet long, had massive jaws and jagged teeth. It looked unlike anything living inside Earth’s oceans today.

The creatures eventually died, sinking to the prehistoric ocean seafloor. Tens of thousands of years went by, and a fine protective mantle of sediment eventually built up over the beasts’ bones. The prehistoric sea receded. The former seabed transformed into a vast desert as powerful winds armed with fine grains of sand began covering the surface little by little, eventually preserving the whales that would remain hidden for time to come.

Eventually, it became another of the many secrets hidden beneath the golden sands of Egypt. Time passed by, and the planet’s geology and geography warped. The planet’s crust smashed India into Asia, giving birth to the breathtaking Himalayas. Humankind came into existence, and Africa saw the first humans stand straight, evolve, and eventually build a civilization that would forever become imprinted in history.

The mighty Kings of Egypt built incredible mastabas, which evolved into massive pyramids. Egypt flourished and fell, and the land of Pharaohs was no more. Then, more than one hundred years ago, the wind revealed massive fossils of long-gone beasts, which delicately preserved and revealed the fossils since time immemorial.

A Valley of Whales in the Middle of Egypt’s Desert

Sunset at Wadi Al Hitan.

The site is so important that scientists argue that site reveals evidence for the history of one of the greatest mysteries in the evolution of whales: the species’ appearance as an ocean-going mammal from a previous life as a land-based animal.

Today, the site is a desert with geological features that make it even more unique. But in the distant past, Wadi Al Hitan was a massive ocean where whales swam, hunted, and reproduced. As the site is dubbed, the Valley of the Whales is the most important site in the world to demonstrate the above-mentioned evolutionary process.

The way of life of these mammals is accurately portrayed during their evolution.  The number, concentration, and quality of fossils are unique to Wadi Al Hitan, a time capsule providing evidence of millions of years of coastal marine life and evolution.

Among the many fossils, researchers have discovered the remains of whales like the Basilosaurus.

These remains show these animals losing their hind limbs and hydrodynamic bodies (like those of modern whales) while presenting primitive bone structure aspects. Other fossil materials found at the site allow the reconstruction of the environment and the ecological conditions of the time. Wadi Al Hitan portrays the form and way of life during the transition from land animals to ocean-going mammals.

The Fossilized remains of Whales at Wadi Al hitan.

Wadi Al Hitan, the Valley of Whales

Although the fossils discovered at the site may not be the oldest, their great density in the area and the quality of their preservation is to the degree that even some stomach contents have remained intact. Thanks to the discovery of fossils of other early animals like sharks, crocodiles, sawfish, turtles, and rays, scientists have been able to reconstruct the environmental and ecological conditions of the site accurately.

Some of the geological formations at the Valley of Whales.

The site and the first fossil skeletons of whales were discovered at the Valley of Whales in 1903. But for over 80 years, the site was forgotten, mostly due to the difficulty of accessing the site.

However, in the late 1980s, as all-wheel-drive- vehicles became widely available, people started visiting and documenting the site. Eventually, the Valley of Whales would attract scholars, fossil collectors, and even tourists. People would go there and collect fossils without properly documenting or conserving the fossils. This led to the disappearance of many fossils from the site, prompting warnings for the site to be adequately conserved.

A Treasure in the Valley of Whales

One of the most important discoveries at the site was the largest fossil discovered there, with 21 meters in length. The fossil showed clear traces of five-fingered flippers on its forelimbs and an unexpected existence of hind legs, feet, and toes, precisely unknown features in an archaeoceti. The site exceeds the values of similar sites in terms of the number, concentration, and quality of its fossils and their accessibility, found in an attractive and protected landscape.

The site includes an impressive assemblage of fossilized skeletons of Archaeoceti (primitive whales documenting cetacean transition to marine life), and sirenians. It also includes well-preserved reptile fossils and shark teeth dating back to around 40 million years ago. Scientists have identified the fossils of crocodiles, sea turtles, and the fossilized remains of sea snakes at the site. Many species of bony fish, sharks, and rays are represented at the site, but the largest number of fossils are isolated small teeth, which are often inconspicuous. There are also larger fish fossils, including the rostra and pegs of sawfish. The site features a sawfish rostrum of 1.8 meters long.

Wadi Al Hitan is also home to various fossilized shells and disc-shaped nummulite fossils. According to scientists, the strata in Wadi Al Hitan belong to Middle Eocene, including a vast mass of vertebrate fossils within 200 km2 of the desert. While researchers have identified many whale fossils, they have also cataloged and reported sea cows’ fossils, among over one hundred different fossils.

Reconstructing the Origins of Whales

Scientists could reconstruct their origin and conclude their form was serpentine and the animals were carnivorous. The site has been found to feature typical streamlined bodies from modern whales and shows us clear evidence of some of the primitive aspects of skull and tooth structure. In other words, the Valley of Whales in Egypt is a unique site not only because of its diverse fossil library but because of the examples of fossils and their respective age.

The site has managed to remain well-protected because not many people access it. It is believed that between 1500 and 2000, tourists visited the site, which is accessible through unpaved and unmarked desert roads.

The tourists who decide and come to the site are mostly foreigners who then camp in the valley. Wadi Al Hitan lies within the Wadi El Rayan Protected area, but part of the site has been turned into a tourist venue. There are walkways between the main fossils. Small shelters were also built at the site.

In addition to its vast collection of fossilized remains, Wadi Al Hitan is home to more than 15 different species of desert places and 15 different types of mammals, including the red fox and the Egyptian mongoose. The site is mostly frequented by the Gennec Foxes, who visit the campsite at night searching for food.