"These are the most complete whale fossils ever found in Portugal."

The history of Praia da Galé-Fontaínhas, in Grândola, has just entered a new chapter that, in fact, began to take shape 10 million years ago – but was only revealed with the storms of February. As in other places, this Alentejo beach lost sand at the beginning of the year. And with this phenomenon, a past was uncovered, revealing two fossilized skeletons of baleen whales, as well as fossils of sharks, bony fish, turtles, birds, and numerous invertebrates. Following alerts from citizens and videos on social media, the Grândola City Hall and the Lourinhã Museum took action to extract the fossils. Shortly afterwards, researchers from the Instituto Dom Luiz (IDL) of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (Ciências ULisboa) and the National Museum of Natural History and Science (ULisboa) joined the initiative. With the preservation of these important vestiges of the past guaranteed, researchers are now beginning to focus their attention on the scientific work that follows.

“These are undoubtedly the most complete whale skeleton fossils ever found in Portugal. And they are also among the largest records of this type of whale ever discovered in Europe,” assures Pedro Mocho, researcher at IDL and professor at Ciências ULisboa. “We have already removed the various skeletons that were exposed at the base of the cliff due to the loss of sand, but we will remain vigilant to see if more fossil outcrops appear at the site,” adds the paleontologist.

At the end of February, during their first visit to the promising site, researchers were immediately surprised by an extensive fossil record that could be useful in describing the marine biodiversity of an era known as the Miocene. Among all the remains, the two whale skeletons quickly stood out to the paleontologists – and also to the various media outlets that soon reported on the find.

In addition to these two attractions, many other scattered remains were found embedded in a rocky platform extending for about 100 meters. The reconnaissance of the deposit quickly progressed to the extraction work, which involved creating jackets of plaster and burlap to encase each piece and allow for its removal from the rock.

The extraction prevented any potential losses and also avoided potential damage caused by the breaking waves. Therefore, the entire process had to be done against the clock, during low tide.

“The jackets allow the bones to be transported properly sealed to the laboratory without damage (during transport or handling), and guarantee protection against environmental changes after extraction is complete,” says Pedro Mocho. “Some of these blocks weighed between 400 and 500 kilos,” he adds.

According to researchers, this valuable fossil deposit was formed at a time when the sea level in the area was higher than it is today. Galé-Fontaínhas Beach is located in the so-called Alvalade Basin, which is rich in fossils and traces from the Miocene and extends inland from the Alentejo region. The remains of whales, sharks, and other fish are easily explained by the fact that they end up deposited on the seabed after death, where they can serve as food for the surrounding fauna.

Invertebrates, which include bivalves, gastropods, and balaniids, are also especially valued by scientists.  “Invertebrate fossils are very useful because they provide information that helps estimate salinity, temperature, light, or depth, among other factors that conditioned the environment in that location during the Miocene,” emphasizes Rodrigo Figueiredo, a doctoral student in Geology at IDL and Ciências ULisboa.

Considering his doctoral thesis topic, the discovery announced from Praia da Galé-Fontaínhas could not have come at a better time for Rodrigo Figueiredo."This doctoral program aims to study the evolutionary history, paleobiology, and paleoecology of fossil whales from Portugal and Brazil." "Besides this discovery providing the most complete records of Miocene whales from Portugal, which can be useful for our research, it was important for my doctoral studies to have been able to participate in the extraction processes of these fossils," says the researcher.

Rodrigo Figueiredo will pursue his doctorate as part of an agreement between the scientific infrastructure PRISC and the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), which involves the National Museum of Natural History and Science (MUHNAC) and the National Museum of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (MN/UFRJ). Currently, the young researcher is halfway through his doctorate, but he already has a very precise understanding of the skeletons of the two whales: "They are baleen whales." "From the jaws, it's clear they didn't have teeth, and the anatomy leaves no doubt that those fossils belonged to species belonging to the baleen whale group."

Baleen whales, which belong to the mysticete group, are known for employing strategies that allow them to capture a large amount of food (such as krill or plankton) at once, instead of using mechanisms typical of other predators that hunt one prey at a time. And it is this strategy that helps explain the large size of these animals. The study of fossil whales has been strongly linked to the development of national paleontology since the 19th century, with the description of the first vertebrate fossils in Portugal by Alexandre Vandelli in 1831.

"These fossils from Praia da Galé-Fontaínhas add a great deal of information to the vast collection of Miocene fossils that exists in Portugal," emphasizes Pedro Mocho.

“The next step involves signing agreements for the restoration and conservation work that will be carried out by the Lourinhã Museum. This work will allow the fossils to be freed from the jackets and rock that currently enclose them.” This time, the future truly depends on the past.