Masrasaurus Whale – The Giant of Ancient Seas (Natural Heritage)

One of the rare fossil whales assembled from the northwestern shores of Lake Qarun, dating back to the Upper Eocene period (around 40 million years ago), the Masrasaurus once inhabited the warm, shallow waters of the ancient Tethys Sea, which stretched in a vast gulf reaching all the way to Wadi Al-Hitan.

The Masrasaurus preferred living near shallow coastal zones, where food was plentiful and the waters were warm—ideal conditions for feeding and breeding. It is considered a rare species found only in Wadi Al-Hitan and north of Lake Qarun, making it of exceptional scientific significance.

Measuring about 12 meters in length, the Masrasaurus was smaller than the mighty Basilosaurus yet larger than the Dorudon. While not the largest, it stands as a living testament—frozen in stone—to the evolutionary journey of whales from land-dwelling creatures to oceanic giants.

Its exquisitely preserved fossils, discovered deep within the Fayoum Desert, tell the story of life’s great migration from land to sea, offering us a rare glimpse into a vanished world whose echoes still linger in the sands of time.