A complete fossil of a small baleen whale, estimated to be 13.5 to 16.5 million years old, has been excavated by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History after its discovery on the Gaviota Coast by fossil enthusiast and geologist Chris Driesbach.
According to the museum, the specimen was found in the renowned Monterey Shale Formation.
Driesbach, who also participated in the excavation, recalled the moment he spotted the exposed bones…