The Serpent Whale

The state fossil of Alabama, and one of the most interesting (to me, at least) of the fossil whales. Basilosaurus is reasonably well known from Eocene deposits, and would have been something of an apex predator in it's environments. The skull is, frankly, terrifying. For this illustration, though, I decided to try and play down the aggressive aspect. Recall that Orca are ferocious predators but look essentially benign. The coloration is loosely based on a few different types of dolphin.

(Fun fact: I was very into whales when I was a kid, long before I ever became interested in dinosaurs. So illustrating a fossil whale is strangely appropriate for me.)