Joe Thompson who has master’s degree from University of Bristol to lead fossil walks on Highcliffe coast for Wight Coast Fossils

A LYMINGTON man whose love of paleontology began as a child is inviting people to join him on fossil hunting walks along the coast at Highcliffe.

Joe Thompson, who has a Master of Science (MSci) degree in paleontology and evolution, is running the walking tours for island-based Wight Coast Fossils.

He also found notoriety recently after discovering a 130-million-year-old Iguanodon print at Shepherd's Chine on the Isle of Wight after a storm.

Joe said he is excited to begin sharing his knowledge and passion for fossils as he leads people on walks from the cliff top car park at Highcliffe along the seafront towards Barton.

He said people can expect to find ancient sharks’ teeth, as well as fossilised ray bones, and perhaps even whale bone fossils, that date back some 40 million years.

“I’m a sub contractor for Wight Coast Fossils and I first had an idea last year for them to expand to cover the Highcliffe area because it is so good for finding fossils,” Joe told the A&T.

“I thought it was a shame there was not much in the area for people who want to go out and find fossils, and I want to show people the amazing things there are to find out there.

“The walks will start at the car park at Naish Beach at Highcliffe and set out towards Barton.

“There’s no set distance to go so people can walk as far as they want.

“We will be looking out for sharks’ teeth, which are the most common find around there, but there are also fossilised seashells, ray bones and teeth, and, very occasionally, fossilised whale bones.

“Most of them are between 38 and 40 million years old and come from the Eocene period.”

Joe said he first discovered his love of fossil hunting while exploring Dorset’s Jurassic coastline as a child, and was thrilled when he recently discovered a huge dinosaur footprint on the Isle of Wight’s coastline.

“Unfortunately we won’t find anything like that on the coast at Highcliffe,” he said. “But there are lots of sharks’ teeth and a lot of other impressive fossils.

“I’ve lived in Lymington all my life; I love this area and I want to walk on the coast here every day.

“I’ve loved paleontology and fossil hunting my whole life, ever since I was four or five and my parents took me fossil hunting at Lyme Regis and Charmouth.

“It just cemented my love for it, and ever since then I’ve just wanted to learn everything I could about paleontology and fossils.

“I finished my master’s degree in Bristol last year and now I just want to share that passion with people here because it’s such a rich area for fossil hunting.”

For more information or to book a walk with Joe, visit wightcoastfossils.co.uk/southcoastfossilwalks