Rock of ages

12:12pm Saturday 26th July 2008

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WHEN I hit the beach it’s usually scorching hot and in another country – nothing to do with walking a windswept mile along the cliff tops between Whitby and Saltwick Bay.

But to mark British Beachcombing Weekend, that’s exactly what I did, guided by fossil expert Byron Blessed on one of his fossil-hunting tours.

Byron has been fossiling since he was small, and knows the area like the back of his hand.

He has built up a business restoring and selling fossils and escorts trips to Saltwick Bay in accordance to the tides, usually about every two weeks.

Nine of us were booked on to his trip earlier this week, and we met in his shop, Natural Wonders in Whitby, beforehand, to pull on wellies and walking boots.

As we walked up the steps towards Whitby Abbey and trudged a mile towards Saltwick Bay, four-year-old fossil fanatic Jake Fantarrow and Morgan Corby, nine, quickly made friends.

Jake brought his fossil collection in his dad’s rucksack to show Byron and they happily told the rest of us what fossils we were likely to find as we walked along.

“They’re like smaller versions of me,” said Byron. “Whenever I went on holiday I always used to take my hammer with me, regardless of where we were going,” he said. “I was about ten when I first got stopped though customs taking my hammer on a plane.

“One of the things I like about fossiling is that you never know what you’re going to find and when you find it, you’re the first person to see it for millions of years.”

Hats pulled tight around our ears, we descended the cliffs and settled on some sandstone on the beach while Byron pulled out a flip chart to explain the golden rules of fossiling.

“It’s common sense stuff really,” he said. “Stuff that will keep you safe at all times.

The first thing to remember is the tides. One of the misconceptions people have about fossil collecting is you have to go out at low tide, but that’s the wrong time to go. Somebody could have been out before you and picked the good stuff already, but also, the tide would always be coming back in on you. Low tide is the time to come off rather than go on. Go on as close to high tide as possible so you follow the sea out. You can buy a timetable of the tides from newsagents or fishing tackle shops.”

Despite the cold, the beach was beautiful.

The sea was so rough that it might have stopped us walking back along the beach, and behind us, we heard the low rumble of heavy rocks falling from the shale cliffs and hitting the ground hard.

Byron’s second rule of fossiling is never to get too close to them. “You should keep at least 20 feet away from the cliffs,” he said. “The best fossils can be found in the pebbles. Another misconception is that you have to dig them out of the cliff face but actually all my best finds have been from pebbles on the beach.”

Byron’s final rule is about equipment.

Good clothing is essential, he says, layers are best and good boots or sturdy footwear is important, especially when dealing with seaweed.

“The green stuff is okay because you can see it, but the brown stuff is about the same colour as the rocks and it’s lethal. If your boots claim to be non-slip you will still definitely slip. Take small steps and use the flat areas as much as possible.”

Next, we had a quick demonstration about what we might expect to find.

We could see Devils toenails; oysters that drew up nutrients from their shells and because they couldn’t move, were buried very quickly, with sand falling on top of them “If you ever wanted to be a fossil, get buried in the Red Sea or the Dead Sea, you would sink to the sea bed very, very quickly and it’s very, very low in oxygen,” explained Byron.

We might also see the fossils of marine animals called crinoids, or sea lilies, fossil corals and sponges, belemnites, which were similar to squid, and the spiral-shelled ammonites. Byron actually found a full marine croc skull by the rocks a few years ago. “You just don’t know what you’re going to find,” he added.

Morgan and Jake quickly pulled ammonites and belemnites from the rocks, showing them off to their parents then to Byron, who retrieved the fossils with his hammer.

I found an impression of a whole ammonite, but left it, as it was too heavy, then abandoned slipping and sliding over the rocks to hunt close to the rock pools instead, where I found a fossilised belemnite.

Nearby, a family was splitting rocks open with hammers, stuffing finds into a rucksack. I found half a fossilised ammonite, and a few more impressions, which were small enough to keep.

As I dug beneath the larger pebbles, I was fascinated by what Jake and Morgan were finding. As they were closer to the ground than the adults – and keen to find the best fossils – they found something at every step, pulling them up to show the group.

After about an hour, the tide ebbed away enough to walk back along the beach, and although it was difficult to negotiate in parts, it was well worth the effort as we saw rock pools brimming with sea life, a few jelly fish, rocks strewn with seaweed and the remains of a trawler shipwrecked in 1902.

The whole trip lasted for about three-and-a-half hours, and everyone had a pocket full of trophies to take home. I’m unlikely to make my fortune on this occasion, but my morning on the beach got me hooked.

Beachcombers of Whitby, watch out!

*Byron will be escorting fossil hunting trips on August 4, 5, 19, 20 and September 2, 3 and 18. To book, or for more information, phone 01947 821363, visit Natural Wonders in Grape Lane, Whitby, or log on to www.fossils-uk.com. Tickets are £10 adults, £5 children.

What you might find in Whitby:

• Devils toenails
• Crinoids and sea lilies
• Fossil corals and sponges
• Belemnites/ammonites
• Ichthyosaurs
• Plesiosaurus

Where to go:

• Saltwick Bay
• Runswick Bay
• Redcar
• Robin Hoods Bay

Beachcombing tips from Cottages4you

• Take a stick for turning things, a net for picking things up or rinsing the sand away and small bottles or containers for fragile finds
• Always check for writing and markings
• Examine everything closely – driftwood and seaweed may have a treasure hiding in them, while bottles may contain a message
• Be patient and walk for 30 minutes or so before you expect to find anything
• Wear sensible footwear
• Keep an eye on the tide
• Beware of slippery or loose rocks
• Wear sunscreen
• Stay clear of unstable cliffs
• Beware of suspicious objects, particularly metal or glass
• Always tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return
*For more tips and beachcombing identification guides, log on to http://blog.cottages4you.co.uk/beachcombing