SANTA CRUZ COUNTY -- Paleontologists at a scientific dig in Santa Cruz County said they have reached a critical juncture in the project where they hope to recover bones from a whale that are five million years old.

Scientists want to keep the public away from the site as they continue to ensure the safety of the skeleton, making the dig going at the Santa Cruz County beach something of a noisy secret.

Some locals know scientists are digging up what they hope will be remains of an ancient whale. So far, paleontologists have been able to preserve both the secret location and the five million year old bones.

Amateur paleontologist Karl Heiman saw the bones protruding from a cliff about five months ago.

"I was in awe because I knew a veterbrae with ribs is a pretty rare find," said Heiman

It didn't take Heiman long to realize the project required professionals. He informed Santa Cruz County and, ultimately, PaleoResources, a group of scientific consultants in Auburn.

The crew took months to dig through the rock and sandstone to get underneath the whale fossil in order to encase the fossil in plaster for protection.

"We think we might have found a jawbone, so it might be a Baleen whale," said PaleoResources Field Supervisor David Maloney. "If it is, it might be a brand new species or a second example of a previously described species. They're not common."

Maloney admitted that without the skull, it will be more difficult to determine the species. Still, the fossil will make a fascinating display for locals as a 3-D snapshot of ocean life from five million years ago.