A family enjoying a leisurely day by the sea at Ocean Grove on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula stumbled upon a remarkable find that has excited palaeontologists. Their discovery, which surfaced due to unusual currents and shifting sands, appears to be the remains of an ancient whale’s backbone.

Local enthusiasts are understandably thrilled. “It’s just such a beautiful part of the world; I’m not surprised another wonder has been found,” commented one observer. Another added, “It’s incredible, I think it’s a miracle.”

News of the rare find quickly spread, prompting members of the Geelong Gem and Mineral Club, including Yestin Griffiths, to rush to the site on Wednesday. The discovery promises to provide valuable insights as experts prepare to analyze the ancient relic more thoroughly.

“It’s incredible, I think it’s a miracle,” another said.

Geelong Gem and Mineral Club member Yestin Griffiths rushed to the beach on Wednesday when the find was reported.

“I was ecstatic, I couldn’t get down here fast enough,” Griffiths said.

“It’s hard to find these fossils in the first place, and it’s even harder to find them again sometimes.”

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.

“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.

“The good thing about this is that there’s a lot there.”

Scientists are eager to identify the species and analyse whether the remains can share more information about whale evolution.

A similar discovery by a school principal just 30 minutes up the road helped experts name a new type of whale in August.