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Al-Ahram Weekly 2 - 8 September 1999 Issue No. 445 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 2 - 8 September 1999 Issue No. 445
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Focus Culture Features Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters A whale of a time
By Sahar El-BahrWadi Al-Hitan, or the Valley of the Whales, is an expanse of desert littered with fossils, and located behind a mountain known as Gabal Gar Gohannam (The Mountain Next to Hell). It is true that, in the light of the setting sun, the mountain seems ablaze with an eerie red light.
Wadi Al-Hitan is also near the Al-Qatrani mountain range, well known for its value as a geological site: "Of all the important sites in Egypt, Al-Qatrani is the object of the most studies because it used to be a jungle, populated by all kinds of mammals. The whole area, about 150km of desert today, is an open-air geological museum," notes Mohammadein Hassan, a geologist and a ranger in the Wadi Al-Rayan protectorate. Hassan adds that this area is famous worldwide for its rare vertebrate fossils and mega-fossils.
Studies of Gabal Gar Gohannam have shown that most of the fossils in the area are of marine creatures. Complete skeletons of sharks, dogfish and whales have been located. According to Mustafa Mahmoud, the Egyptian-Italian project co-director in the Wadi Rayan protectorate, this area was under water 40 to 50 million years ago. To date, 34 whale skeletons have been discovered, with tails reaching up to 18m in length.
Hossam Abdel-Raouf, a senior ranger on the Egyptian-Italian project who lives in the Wadi Rayan protectorate, notes that most visitors to Wadi Al-Hitan are foreigners, who usually visit the valley on winter weekends: "They are the ones who come here, because they have 4x4s. Most like to camp in Wadi Al-Hitan for a few days."
photo:Sami Boushra
The poorest inhabitants of Fayoum come too, by the truckload, to search for salt, which they will sell for a few pounds.
Bits and pieces of petrified bone are scattered across the desert here. According to Abdel-Raouf, however, many visitors have carried pieces away as mementos. Additionally, many of the bones have been damaged by rough-terrain vehicles. No signs indicate the location of the skeletons, which makes them especially vulnerable to damage. "This is because the area is so huge," says Mahmoud. "There are also many access points to Wadi Al-Hitan, so fossils are stolen all the time. Yet these bones are a national treasure," he emphasises.
The Italian government has earmarked $1.2 million for the upgrading of the Wadi Rayan protectorate over the coming three years. According to Abdel-Raouf, however, this assistance will not cover the whole area.
Ottavio Novell, a park expert, explains that the Italian government has singled out Wadi Rayan as a unique desert habitat. "It is very important biologically because of the Egyptian gazelles and rare kinds of foxes found here." Novell outlined his team's work with schools and universities; they hope to raise awareness of the protectorate's importance, "especially since it is only two hours away from Cairo". Novell hopes graduate students will be attracted to the area, which has great potential as research material.
The Italian assistance package targets infrastructure in particular, including a visitors' centre, which will cost LE350 thousand, staff buildings, a training programme, roads, 4x4 vehicles and signposts.
Abdel-Raouf and his fellow rangers are currently busy defining the best road to Wadi Al-Hitan. Working in the desert is hardly easy, but Abdel-Raouf is enjoying it: "In 10 years, when people start to visit and know Wadi Al-Hitan, I will be happy to be one of those who helped improve the area."
After the main access road is paved, signposts will be set up to inform visitors about the area and the fossils. At the visitors' centre in Wadi Rayan, rare pieces will be displayed for those who are unable to go as far as Wadi Al-Hitan.
The entire area, however, has been damaged not only by haphazard tourism, but also by a petroleum company currently digging seven wells, as well as a fishery. The Al-Oyoun Monastery, built in the '60s and later deserted, is once more occupied by monks. The monastery is built amidst four small lakes; a large variety of wild flora and fauna flourished here. Now, the presence of humans and the noise of vehicles have frightened most of the animals away. "The gazelles, in particular, are very shy animals and terribly frightened by any sound," Mahmoud explains.
This area is particularly sensitive because the animals have been targeted by hunters for a long time. The gazelles and other wild creatures have therefore taken shelter in a spot protected by sand dunes, which is very difficult to reach by car.
"We hope to establish a breeding centre for the animals that left when the monks came back. For the moment there are very few people, and we have requested that the monks not build any more or engage in agricultural activities, which pollute the environment. But if the monks expand their activities, this will be a threat to the ecological equilibrium of the protectorate," warns Abdel-Raouf.
"We accept the activities that we found before the project started, and our duty is to control them and bring them into compliance with the regulations. Now, however, we no longer accept activities that might threaten the ecology of the area," asserts Novell.
According to Mahmoud, the petroleum company has submitted an environmentally compliant exploitation plan, containing strict stipulations which will help avoid pollution. "The real problems we face are the fisheries on the protectorate's lakes. These are authorised by official bodies, but they are polluting the lakes," says Novell.
