We’re in a lab that’s behind the scenes at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. On a long work table, there are what appear at first glance to be some rocks. On the ground, there are more, sitting in three big wooden crates.
But, it’s not just rock. It’s a rare slice of nature—it’s fossils of a whale which lived an estimated 13 to 16 million years ago.
"This is the very front of the skull of this whale," said Dr. Jonathan Hoffman, a paleontologist and the Curator of Earth Science with the Museum’s Dibblee Geology Center. "Altogether, it was about five feet long, and what's kind of recognizable when you compare it to the big blue whale skeleton out in front of the museum, is this part here, where you are seeing the jawbones, or the mandibles. What we're looking at in the middle is part of what is essentially the roof of the mouth. This whole animal was on its back."
He said the potentially important find occurred early last year, right in our backyard, on the Gaviota Coast.
"This was found at Tajiguas Beach. It was found by Chris Driesbach, who is a geologist and fossil enthusiast," said Hoffman. "He was walking down the beach after the big January storms in 2024. He was on the lookout for petrified wood, and sat down and looked over, and saw this beautifully preserved skull."
Recovering the fossils wasn’t easy. After getting a number of permits, it took nearly a month of digging spread out over a year. More than two dozen volunteers aided in the effort, including some UC Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara City College students.
"We were working in the tidal zone, and we had to work around the high tides. Ultimately, because of the location, it was very hard to get the heavy blocks out. We ended up having a helicopter lift," said the researcher.
Hoffman said the effort is worth it. From what they can tell, the fossils appear to be in good condition.
"These pieces all interlock to form a mostly complete, if not completely complete, skull of this fossil whale. It's very rare that you're finding a complete skull that was in great condition and preservation."
The researchers said one of the things they're trying to determine is if this is a known species of whale, or perhaps a new discovery. They've started the slow, exacting process of removing what’s known as the matrix, which is the rock and sediment surrounding the fossils.
"The cool thing is that you really achieve a sense of zen as you're working on it," said Liz Flint, a Curatorial Assistant working on the fossil removal process. "You know, you put on an audiobook, and it feels like you've been doing it for 20 minutes, and it's 'no, three hours have passed.'"
It’s going to take years, and hundreds of hours of work to carefully expose the fossils from the rock. They hope it will lead to a number of answers about the whale, like its size. Preliminary estimates have it at 15 to 20 feet long.
They've also been finding other fossils of sea life along the way, like a shark tooth.
Hoffman said its exciting to have a find like this.
"We don't normally find fossils this complete. People sometimes have this idea that we're constantly digging up entire skeletons, and it's just not really the case. So, when something is found that has a complete skull, and that's the most informative part of an animal, it's exciting."
The researcher said the Central and South Coasts are rich areas for fossils, but this is a special find. The hope is that the public will be able to see some of the work as it’s underway, and eventually, the skull could be displayed for the public.
