Search-and-rescue works to recover rare whale fossil

Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. (KABC) -- The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department search-and-rescue team conducted a recovery in Rancho Palos Verdes unlike any other: A rare whale fossil that is 14 million to 16 million years old.

Gary Johnson discovered the baleen whale head fossil nearly 40 years ago behind his home on a hillside in Rolling Hills Estates, but didn't know its significance. He and his friends rolled the 1,500-pound skull up from the creek.

Johnson says they called the Cabrillo museum. Officials from the museum correctly identified the fossil, but they said they would be unable to remove the fossil because it was too heavy.

The fossil's new home will be at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County in Exposition Park.

"This is a great specimen. Fossil baleen is very rare, so anytime we can find and collect fossil baleen for the museum, we're really excited," Howell Thomas, senior paleontological preparator at the Natural History Museum.

The museum plans to use the baleen whale fossil for research purposes.

City News Service contributed to this report.