A 20-million-year-old whale fossil has been unearthed by a family exploring at Victorian beach.
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.
Unusual currents and shifting sand have exposed the ancient relic, which appears to be part of a whale's backbone.
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"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.
"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."
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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.
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