Found at Amonite falls

[Amrirache]

My son and I were at Amonite Falls in Naniamo, BC and we found this intriguing object on the river bed. 

Found July 22, 2019. Rocky and lots of shale along the river in a forested area. The ruler is in centemeters.

Any help identifying this would be greatly appreciated!

[FossilDAWG]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum from North Georgia.  I lived in BC for several years and spent some very happy days collecting fossils on Vancouver Island.

 

This is a broken concretion, possibly smashed by a would-be fossil collector.  They are common in the Haslam Formation, which is the rock that is exposed at the falls.  Some contain fossil clams, ammonites, snails, or crab claws, though many are empty.  The concretions began to harden when the surrounding sediment was still somewhat soft, so as the sediment was buried deeper and deeper in the sea floor the water would be squeezed out and the sediment would be compressed and forced to "flow" around the hardened concretion.  This is what produced the shiny streaky area on the end of the concretion.

 

Has the access to the falls been improved yet?  When I was there the city had a sign up that the access from the top was closed due to being too dangerous, but the ropes were still up so of course down (and later up) I went.  I wasn't going to hike all that way and turn around at that point.  I didn't see any fossils, except for an impression of a partial ammonite in the stream bank and some large but worn Inoceramus clams in the stream bed.

 

Don

[Amrirache]

Hi Don!

Thanks so much for your response, it was definitely the "shiny streaky"-ness that made me think it was a fossil. My son was happily convinced it was a tooth or a horn. 

We also found a small clam looking peice, but mostly just enjoyed a day at the falls hunting. The conditions are the same, and the sign did say not to proceed, but it was very doable, especially with the ropes. My son's 6 and it was a fun adventure for him. 

Can you suggest any other spots on the island might take my son to? 

 

Thanks for the warm welcome

Alicia

 

[FossilDAWG]

I think the Courtenay Museum may run fossil collecting tours to some local rivers (Puntledge, Trent).  The best site I used to visit in that area was a shale pit on Dunlap Road in Nanaimo, but that is now a motocross track and no longer accessible.  Your best bet may be to join the Vancouver Island Paleontological Society and participate in their field trips, or at least the kid-friendly ones.  Good luck!

 

Don

[FossilDAWG]

Actually you might have more luck with the Victoria Paleontological Society.  Their web site seems up to date, whereas the Vancouver Island Paleontological Society has a facebook page they have not updated in ages.  Not an encouraging sign.

 

Don