Blue Beach - Hantsport, Nova Scotia (Fall 2013)

I had meant to make a post on my blog on my last trip from last year to Blue Beach, in Nova Scotia but it had slipped my mind. I had brought my new Olympus SLR camera with me to capture snapshots and compare the quality with what I used to take photos with. A bit bulkier than the old gal, but I must admit that I won't miss her much. I can't recall when I went down there, and the data on the camera isn't accurate as I didn't bother setting the right time/date format.

On this trek you will notice there's a little of everything spread all over along the beach. South of the Jurassic and Triassic rocks that make up most of the Blomidon Peninsula lies the Carboniferous Horton Formation. These fossil bearing sedimentary rocks stretch from a little South of Hantsport to about Boot Island, North East of the city of Wolfville. The further one ventures South, the more you'll encounter rocks containing evaporites. These would be mostly part of the Carboniferous Windsor group, full of limestones and gypsum, such as in Cheverie (click to see other post on location).

Before heading down the path you get to see this

The walk through the woods is nice



The view as soon as you turn left walking down the path. These stratum have marine animals such as bivalves, brachiopods, and fragments of other animals. I've found some shale with arthropod traces in this area. I've mostly found them further North though.

Some nice traces

Rusophycus and cruziana from what I can tell

There is also a good amount of plant material found along the beach.

Fish scales

Tree section

Mechanical or actual tracks?

Diplichnites

Section of the cliffs where some of the bigger traces were found, further North.


Tracks?



Rusophycus (largest I've seen here so far)


Last year was a great season and Blue Beach didn't disappoint. It's one of these places where it keeps attracting you. It will be one of my first beaches to hit when the ice starts to melt. The cliffs keep working out new material, so every time is a new adventure.


Till next time...

- Keenan



Disclaimer: In Nova Scotia under the 'Special Places Protection Act', fossils cannot be dug up or disturbed without a permit. The province has a mandate to protect palaeontological sites and it is your civic duty to report any finds to the local museum, or the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage (https://cch.novascotia.ca/exploring-our-past/special-places). This encourages the contribution these finds could make to science not just in the provice, but on the global stage. You must also seek permission if you are to enter private land.
Location: Hantsport, NS, Canada

Comments

  1. Sonja WoodSaturday, March 29, 2014 at 7:57:00 AM ADT

    Hi Keenan,

    Very nice blog!

    One thing you may want to add is, that collecting near the cliffs is dangerous. If the cliff is 50ft high, stay back 50 and it is prohibited to collect fro the cliffs. All fossils collected at Blue Beach are picked up on the beach.

    Please be sure to let Chris Mansky or myself, at the Blue Beach Fossil Museum, have a look at what you may be collecting from the beach, as it may be very important to researchers.

    Thank you and I hope to see you this Spring!

    Kindest regards,
    ~Sonja E. Wood

    ReplyDelete
  2. Keenan RichardSaturday, March 29, 2014 at 2:01:00 PM ADT

    Indeed! The shale is very very VERY loose and there were a few close calls througout the years. Always a good idea to bring a spotter (I suck as a spotter. You can ask Matt Stimson's big toe hehehe).

    I will definitely drop by. Last year alone I spotted some very interesting ichnofossils. These traces were probably tail drags made by fish. I'll keep an eye out for you guys.

    I'll say hi next time I drop by!

    - Keenan

    ReplyDelete

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