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Hello! I'm new to this site and very happy to have found and joined this great community, while I generally focus my collecting on minerals im eagerly collecting fossils too. This is my personal favorite of the few I have collected, and it was found in a creek around Lewis County not far from Salmon Creek (Washington). I believe it may belong to a Aturia/nautilus replaced by chalcedony? Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks, Cam

Hi guys, Here's a large Miocene nautiloid (Aturia spp.) from the Miocene sediments of the north Canterbury coast in New Zealand. I saw it from a distance and thought I was seeing a weathered gastropod or turret shell. A shame that there is a bit missing but interesting to be able to see the chambers and siphuncular tube. I still plan to prep out what is there. It would be nice to find a complete one of this size one day! Its about 15 cm across. Red dashed line shows a possible outline of the complete shell. Another (dorsal) view showing the chambers and siphuncular tube.

I got back from my last fossil hunting trip just 3 days ago. My middle son did all the work but im the one who came home a bit beat up! I was rather tired on this trip but it was still a lot of fun. I stopped by some freinds of mine and bought some more of those agatized Aturia and then stayed with some more friends of mine and did some trading with them. With the few crab concretions we found and the ones I traded for I came home with a few more to prep this winter. Only thing I didnt like about this trip was the rain! and the traffic on I-5 passing Tacoma!!! RB This is at the end of driving aaaaaaaaal day long and having a drink. The rains just started and didnt stop till noon the following day! Here is a crate of crab balls from 2 different sites. A very lovely sight for a crab guy. Here are some crab balls I traded for. The one in plastic, (3 pieces), is the one I'm most excited about. Should be a very large and very nice crab!!! With these 5 Aturia I now have 10. These are one of my most favorite fossil! My youngest son was in eastern Montana while I was in Washington. This is not the best fossil but still purty cool. This looks to have been preditated apon but still makes for a realy cool ammo on concretion!

so these buggers are about as rare as they come since you can get them any more decided to go and prep one for you to see.

A few weeks ago, my niece and I made a trip to the Straits of Juan de Fuca. I believe we were in the Pysht formation. We cracked several concretions open, but this was the only one I found anything in (my niece found something equally as interesting). We found other neat things that I will post up later. It is about 8mm at the largest exposed portion (see photo). It looks segmented like a shrimp tail, which made me think of the Aturia I've seen from other locations here in Washington. Just a guess, though. Your thoughts would be appreciated. I will continue the prep on this, after I get the Microjack.

I go to the state of Washington every year to go get me some fossil crab concretions. I always visit a good freind of mine whilst im there. For the last 4 or 5 years Ive tried my snargle darndest to get this rock from him. Its been sittin outside in the Washington rain and sun since he found it. Last year I was lucky enough to have the right trade material that he wanted and i was able to aquire it from him!!! I was one happy camper to say the least!!! This is the best mulit Aturia ive seen. I will have to clean it up and bit and shape the rock the way i want it and also cut the bottom so it sits nicely too. A truly super nice multi specimen!!! And remember, once im gone it will be for sale at the garage sale for $20. Ha!!! Just kidding, my youngest son, being around me for so many years has a good idea at what prices may be for just about everything I have. Not sure when I will go on the prep attack for this, but it will be one of those exciting projects for me! Oh, this has 10 Aturia on this rock! Yeah!!! Wooooooop Wooooooop!!! RB

I was cleaning up and moving stuff around to get a bit more organized and this there was this little thing wrapped up in some newspaper in the very bottom of a box that I brought home about 2 or 3 days ago. I unwraped it,,,,,,,, and Wow!!! A very beautiful and very nice little Aturia in a small concretion. Wow!!! This must have been layin in there for about 15 years! Ha!!! Almost like christmas today! Just glad I didnt throw the box away with out checking. Wheeeeew!! These are very very very hard to come by nowadays!!! RB