<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A 20-million-year-old whale fossil has been unearthed by a family exploring at </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/victoria" rel="" target="" title="Victorian"><span>Victorian</span></a><span> beach.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Palaeontologists will soon be able to analyse the remains of the "really rare find" by a family simply enjoying a day by the sea at Ocean Grove on the state's Bellarine Peninsula.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Unusual currents and shifting sand have exposed the ancient relic, which appears to be part of a whale's backbone.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/bondi-beach-shooting-images-show-terror-attack-at-iconic-sydney-beach/9401f46c-39a3-4a3d-9995-1b27d33bc8b5"><strong><span>Poignant moment surf lifesavers return to Bondi for weekend</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's just such a beautiful part of the world, I'm not surprised another wonder has been found," one punter said of the find.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's incredible, I think it's a miracle," another said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Geelong Gem and Mineral Club member Yestin Griffiths rushed to the beach on Wednesday when the find was reported.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/ocean-grove-beach-20-million-year-old-whale-fossil-found-victoria-beach/ed651d4a-29a6-49e2-a537-7ca6816acf33" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I was ecstatic, I couldn't get down here fast enough," Griffiths said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's hard to find these fossils in the first place, and it's even harder to find them again sometimes."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/nsw-premier-announces-new-hate-laws-in-wake-of-bondi-terror-attack/75367885-4c37-4660-9f4c-ecde28ebac35"><strong><span>NSW Premier announces new hate laws</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The fossil has now been covered again by sand and water but Griffiths will return in the new year with Museums Victoria to properly excavate the 20-million-year-old find.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Usually when you have anything that's fossilised, it'll break up and it'll disperse a little bit before it gets buried," Griffiths said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The good thing about this is that there's a lot there."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Scientists are eager to identify the species and analyse whether the remains can share more information about whale evolution.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A similar discovery by a school principal just 30 minutes up the road helped experts name a new type of whale in August.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727"><em><strong><span>Apple App Store</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1"><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>.</span></strong></em></div></div>