Story: Dolphins

Dolphin fossil site, Waitaki Valley

Dolphin fossil site, Waitaki Valley

This site is on the Vanished World Trail, in the limestone terrain of the Waitaki Valley in the South Island. Fossilised skeletons of dolphins, whales and penguins as well as other organisms from 25 million years ago have been discovered there – relics of a time when the valley formed the floor of a shallow sea.

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Private collection
Photograph by Simon Nathan

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How to cite this page:

Gerard Hutching, 'Dolphins - Ancient dolphins – the fossil record', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/4695/dolphin-fossil-site-waitaki-valley (accessed 20 April 2024)

Story by Gerard Hutching, published 12 Jun 2006, updated 1 Sep 2015