Where their whales during the tertiary period?

Yes, whales existed during the Tertiary period, which spanned from about 66 million to 2.6 million years ago. This period is significant for the evolution of modern whales, as it saw the transition of early cetaceans from land-dwelling animals to fully aquatic forms. Fossil evidence indicates that various species of primitive whales, such as Ambulocetus and Basilosaurus, thrived in marine environments during this time, adapting to life in the ocean.