The Isle of Wight has two main areas where dinosaur bones can be found loose on the beach. The smallest area is Yaverland beach near Sandown with the main exposure approximately 100 metres long. The second area is approximately 6 miles long on the south-west coast of the Island and stretches from Atherfield to Compton. All the dinosaur fossils found on the Isle of Wight are from rocks of the Lower Cretaceous period and around 120 million years old.

Dinosaur fossils have been collected here since the 1850s officially, but the discovery of their large bones by locals goes back much further than this. To date there are over 20 different types of dinosaurs discovered on the Isle of Wight including:

Unfortunately several of these are only known from a single bone which might not be complete, making comparisons with other discoveries almost impossible. However as more fossils are discovered scientists are gradually piecing together their understanding of the variety of different types of dinosaurs that lived here 120 million years ago.

We don't just find dinosaur fossils on our fossil walks. The other fossils that can be found include, Fossil Wood and 'Fool's Gold' (Iron Pyrite), Crocodiles, Turtles, Pterosaurs, Fish, Sea Urchins, Fossil Mussels, Fossil Oysters, Brachiopods, Ammonites, Corals, Sponges, Quartz crystals, Gypsum Crystals and more!

Public Fossil Hunting Trips

Join one of our experienced, professional guides on a Fossil Hunting Trip to one of the Island’s beaches and discover your own fossils and keep all your finds. Our two hour trips start at one of five different locations on the south-west coast of the Isle of Wight. Locations include: Atherfield (Shepherds Chine), Grange Chine, Chilton Chine, Brook Chine and Compton Hanover Point Car Park (Shippards Chine).

We meet public groups before we go on to the beach and give them an overview of the different fossils that can be found there. We show examples of different fossils that you can hold before we lead the group across the beach to see what they can find. When you find fossils the guide will identify them for you and you can keep all the loose fossils you want to carry.

If the trip starts from Brook Chine, Compton or Chilton Chine then we aim to show the dinosaur foot-casts and footprints that are naturally exposed on those beaches. However these are protected and should not be removed or damaged to ensure they are available for everyone to enjoy.