But how did whales end up in a desert? Paleontologist Hesham Sallam searches for fossils in the desert near Wadi Hitan in Egypt. Many fossils are right at the surface of the sand. (Bella Falk ...

After the hubbub of Cairo, the silence is profound. Though travellers flock to see the riches of Ancient Egypt in the Valley of the Kings, Wadi al-Hitan remains a largely hidden treasure.