How to find fossils at Charmouth beach - Kid friendly fossil collecting from The Fossil Academy

A short video for the families wanting to go collecting fossils on the world famous Charmouth beach! No Hammers required! Learn what to look out for and some good places to start your hunting.

Пікірлер: 53

  • @BeansOnToast01
    @BeansOnToast01 Жыл бұрын

    Also I don't think it's just me, but I find it fascinating that for example, if you break open a rock and there is a fossil in it you are the FIRST PERSON EVER to see that fossil for MILLIONS OF YEARS. And that is mad

  • @docsavagefan2795
    @docsavagefan2795 Жыл бұрын

    Great video, thank you

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    Жыл бұрын

    Cheers :) really appreciate that! In a bit of a rut making new content at the mo but getting my backside in gear! Missing it quite a bit, just need to get back on it

  • @wildhogs2849
    @wildhogs28493 жыл бұрын

    Nice video. Love Charmouth beautiful beach. One of the best on South Coast 👍

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    3 жыл бұрын

    It’s a pretty special place :)

  • @tonystaples4173
    @tonystaples4173 Жыл бұрын

    So were on holiday rigth now We watched your video this morning over breakfast as we had now idea until then what to look for Got up early and found plenty due to your video Thanks for doing this video bud 👍 im sure we would have missed loads had we not watch this found an amenite about the size of a 50 pence piece Well chuffed

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    Жыл бұрын

    Ahh dude that’s awesome! Really pleased the vid helped you out :) I’ll be around this week no doubt, if you see me on the beach give us a shout.

  • @jacklondon7801
    @jacklondon78015 жыл бұрын

    Dan mate, ive just spent four days fossil hunting in the jurassic coast. Your tip about looking for patches of pyrite worked a treat. There are some big, whole ones to be found aswell! Found a couple of ichthyosaur vertibrae at black ven and checked out some clay flats at low tide.

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    5 жыл бұрын

    Jack London that’s awesome dude! Gets so addictive when you find some good ones

  • @jacklondon7801

    @jacklondon7801

    5 жыл бұрын

    I was thinking. Seeing as the jurassic coast used to be a shallow, tropical sea and not that far from land. Could it be that it it used to be a nursary for ichthyosaurs? (one of my vertibrae was from a baby). And the bigger temnodontosaurs came in from the deeper oceans to hunt them. But the smaller ichthyosaurs were lightning quick and could hide in the corals/or bolt into the shallows where big predators couldnt follow.

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    5 жыл бұрын

    Jack London I’d say that’s a good assumption, the amount of juvenile beasties and ichthyosaurs that have been found with babies still inside would lend credit to this hypothesis

  • @TheMowbs
    @TheMowbs5 жыл бұрын

    Hey Dan, long time no see. Hope you are doing well. We are stopping near Charmouth at the moment with the kids and my oldest loves fossils so while searching for some fossil hunting tips came across your video. Thought to myself is that Dan? Then when I heard you speak I knew it was 😀 off to find some fossils. Take it easy. Rich

  • @BritishBeachcomber
    @BritishBeachcomber Жыл бұрын

    The little Ammonites are the best. More likely to be complete and undamaged. Also easier to prepare.

  • @aaronclark8877
    @aaronclark88775 жыл бұрын

    That's great. Thanks for this

  • @stevebarrett1268
    @stevebarrett12684 жыл бұрын

    Hey Dan, we're coming down to lyme regis this week, or youngest is learning about Mary Anning at school at the moment, so was a great excuse to come down!! We've only done a little bit of fossil hunting, but we're addicted (me more than the kids!). I'm going to show the kids this video later 👍 Love the videos, would be good to see a video on what nodules/rocks to look out for when looking for the bigger fossils in rocks to be split. Keep up the good work 👌

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    4 жыл бұрын

    Steve Barrett pop into work and I’ll be able to show you what to look for

  • @stevebarrett1268

    @stevebarrett1268

    4 жыл бұрын

    The Fossil Academy will do, thanks are you just "around" in the centre or do they hide you away...will look like a right fan boy now though lol...we've never spoken if the family ask 🤓🤓

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    4 жыл бұрын

    Haha! I’ll just be around, the centre is really good, we’ve got loads of info and displays on what to look for on the beach, we’ve got a bloke in today (Wednesday) doing a free workshop with the kids making models for our new marine display, he’s really good and it’s something to do if the weather is pants later. If I’m not walking around I’ll be in the back office, just give us a shout.

  • @stevebarrett1268

    @stevebarrett1268

    4 жыл бұрын

    The Fossil Academy only just seen this, but it was really nice to meet you earlier. The girls were over the moon with the bits you gave them and the fact they'd met a real life you tuber 👍 thanks again. Will definitely be coming back in for another look around the centre, as we didn't see everything.

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    4 жыл бұрын

    Steve Barrett if you go out in the morning just be careful, the weather is going to be awful! Pop in before you go and show us your finds.

  • @RevGav
    @RevGav5 жыл бұрын

    Did you work up that ammonite you found in the block of stoney stuff?

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    5 жыл бұрын

    Still in my bag! I wanted to keep this video hammer free and kid friendly so decided not to do too much filming on it. It is pretty crushed but should make something if the middle is there.

  • @P8J6
    @P8J65 жыл бұрын

    This is cool I sore this guy at charmoth

  • @Gez-C
    @Gez-C3 жыл бұрын

    I’m going to have to go there when I visit next, where you went is that to the left of the car park?

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    3 жыл бұрын

    Yes dude, go over the bridge away from Lyme towards golden cap

  • @jasonwilson7674
    @jasonwilson76743 жыл бұрын

    Aahhhh mate, I've got to get down there with my lads, we was looking for ammonites on the beach at Freshwater near westbay, found some in rocks we smashed up

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    3 жыл бұрын

    Yeah you can get some nice ammonites from the Cliffs at west bay, I think it’s the top 10ft of the cliffs that have some good stuff in them

  • @sebm1
    @sebm15 жыл бұрын

    Can you sieve for ammonites in these pyrite patches?

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    5 жыл бұрын

    StitchSeb I have seen people do this using the garden type type sieves, only thing is you could miss the littler ones! Always worth a go!!

  • @BeansOnToast01
    @BeansOnToast01 Жыл бұрын

    So I've just finished the video, and I was wondering is it really that easy to find fossils there or are you just really good at finding them, because that is actually so cool how many there are!

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    Жыл бұрын

    Sorry missed this one earlier, it all depends on the state of the beach, always good after a big storm, sometimes though the tide pushes the sand up the beach and it makes it quite difficult and you really have to work at it, some days you go and there are loads about, others you’ll get nothing, what keeps folk coming back on a regular basis. When you start to recognise the different nodules and learn what you find in them, that’s the next level. All the professional collectors can spot a decent stone from a fair distance so it can get quite competitive during the winter months :)

  • @BeansOnToast01

    @BeansOnToast01

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the advice, it is really helpful!! By the way you just got a new subscriber!

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    Жыл бұрын

    Having a bit of a reset with the content, lost my dad last week so haven’t been posting anything this past few months. Got a few good ideas for vids coming up Soon. Cheers for the sub. D

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for the kind words dude.

  • @RevGav
    @RevGav5 жыл бұрын

    How do pyrite ammonites form?

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    5 жыл бұрын

    during petrification the structure of the fossil is replaced with pyrite, it can cover or totally replace the structure but this depends on the geochemical conditions.

  • @giuliaroba
    @giuliaroba3 жыл бұрын

    Is it legal? For example in Italy you could take a fine for collecting shells from beach

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    3 жыл бұрын

    Any loose material on the beach is legal, you need special permission to extract something if you find it in situ, (either in the cliff or part of the bedrock) you will get a fine for digging in the cliffs and all important finds are to be recorded with the heritage coast centre. The rules do differ from site to site though as some beaches are privately owned.

  • @BeansOnToast01

    @BeansOnToast01

    Жыл бұрын

    Wait can you actually get a fine for taking shells from beaches in italy

  • @HomeEdMum
    @HomeEdMum Жыл бұрын

    What do u do with the little bits then? Thanks

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    Жыл бұрын

    Usually give most of them away to kids :)

  • @HomeEdMum

    @HomeEdMum

    Жыл бұрын

    @@TheFossilAcademy 💜👏🙌💜

  • @CIMAmotor
    @CIMAmotor3 жыл бұрын

    Hello Dan, can I find any fossils on Sidmouth beach?

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    3 жыл бұрын

    Those beautiful red cliffs are Triassic in age and would have been laid down when the area was a desert, there have been dinosaur remains found, rare as hens teeth though.

  • @CIMAmotor

    @CIMAmotor

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@TheFossilAcademy Fossil hen's teeth? Cheers.

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@CIMAmotor rarer....... :)

  • @aaronclark8877
    @aaronclark88775 жыл бұрын

    Anymore videos?

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    4 жыл бұрын

    Hey dude just started to add more regular videos, calling them The Workshop Sessions :) check them out and let me know what you think.

  • @gutinstinct4067
    @gutinstinct40675 жыл бұрын

    And not once did you tell people to ` Check the tides ` can imagine all these kids floating away lol

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    5 жыл бұрын

    Gut Instinct plenty of signs and warnings down on Charmouth regarding tides, might be worth doing some beach safety vids though.

  • @sr-vw2pm
    @sr-vw2pm4 жыл бұрын

    We just went. No joy . Didn't find much at all. Boo

  • @TheFossilAcademy

    @TheFossilAcademy

    4 жыл бұрын

    Been good this past few weeks with the windy weather. We have a fossil walk on Sunday at the centre. 2 hours £8 for adults and £4 for hobbits.