'Wadi of the Whales' Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [ˈwa.diː elˈħit.æːn] ⓘ) is a paleontological site in the Faiyum Governorate of Egypt, some 150 kilometres (93 mi) south-west of Cairo.

The presence of fossils of other early animals such as sharks, crocodiles, sawfish, turtles and rays found at Wādī al-Ḥītān makes it possible to reconstruct the surrounding environmental and ecological conditions of the time, adding to its justification to be cited as a Heritage site.

The remains display the typical streamlined body form of modern whales, yet retaining some of the primitive aspects of skull and tooth structure.

The largest skeleton found reached up to 21 m in length,[7] with well-developed five-fingered flippers on the forelimbs and the unexpected presence of hind legs, feet, and toes, not known previously in any archaeoceti.

[6] Wādī al-Ḥītān is the most important site in the world to demonstrate one of the iconic changes that make up the record of life on Earth: the evolution of the whales.

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.

Iconic assemblage of fossilized skeletons of Archaeoceti (primitive whales documenting cetacean transition to marine life), sirenians and reptiles, as well as shark teeth from Gehannam Formation (40–41 million years ago).

[8] The strata in Wādī al-Ḥītān belongs to Middle Eocene epoch and it contains extensive vertebrate fossils within a 200 km2 (77 sq mi) area.

[6] The tops of the higher cliffs are within the Qasr el Sagha Formation, which comprises dark mudstones alternating with limestones full of shells and represents a lagoonal environment.

[citation needed] Only about 1,000 visitors a year drive into Wādī al-Ḥītān by 4WD because the track is unpaved and crosses unmarked desert sands.

[7] Since part of Wādī al-Ḥītān was made into a tourist venue, walkways between the main fossils have been laid out and small shelters built.

[14] The Egyptian government said that in July 2007 a pair of cars driven by Belgian diplomats entered a protected zone in this area and destroyed part of the whale fossil, causing 10 million US dollars' worth of damage.