Search the Community

So today I chose to go out to Matoaka. My parents and brother looked at me like I was crazy but I insisted upon going and I arrived. The beach was nice from the start. I found associated modern fish verts that connected somewhat into a tail shape, which was pretty cool. I proceeded along the beach, finding a tooth I want positive identification on that I'll post later on and some other cool teeth, including large Hemis and a Ecphora with only a small bit missing. The hunt itself wasn't as interesting as what happened next. After about an hour and a half of looking, we went back to our car to refuel. There we met Mr Bryan, a helper for the cabins. He had been fossil hunting down here for 4 months straight, and asked to see what I found. At this point, he slipped a very nice, large tooth into my collector without me noticing till later. He saw my Ecphora and asked if I wanted to see his collection. I obviously said yes. Mr Bryan had so many Ecphora, ranging from minuscule to the size of my palm, from dusky brown to brilliant orange, and offered me a few. His generosity was amazing. He also showed me the whale skull and associated verts he dug out of the St Mary's formation, and the crocodile vert from the same place. He showed me his collection of teeth, including megalodons and a crocodile tooth 2-3 inches long. The highlight of his collection was a fossilized crab he dug out of the cliffs, here, at Matoaka. It was a brilliant piece with claws intact and even places where the eye stalks attached. It was stunning detail, and he offered me a crab body very similar to his except missing the claws. His generosity was at breaking point when he offered me a crocodile tooth as well, albeit smaller than his highlight. He also offered to walk the cliffs with me if we send him notice and look for the best Ecphora. What a person. I couldn't say thanks enough. When we left, I purchased a nice 1 1/2 inch meg from the roadside stand for a steal. It was a great day. Crab: Croc Tooth