Fossil hunting on Dorset's Jurassic Coast is experiencing a boom, fueled by social media and soaring prices. Rare discoveries can now be worth thousands of pounds, attracting both hobbyists and professionals to the beaches.
Fossil Hunting on Charmouth Beach
On Charmouth beach and along the Jurassic Coast, families, seasoned collectors, and day-trippers scan the ground for traces of creatures that lived 190 million years ago. While some are there for fun, a growing number are there for business, reflecting the rising popularity and value of Jurassic fossils.
Martin Curtis, a professional guide and fossil hunter, combs the beach with intense concentration. He looks for the telltale spiral of an ammonite, the star-shaped rod of a crinoid, or rocks with a particular shape and color that suggest something special inside.
Thriving Marketplace
The growing professional interest has created a thriving marketplace, making some collectors social media celebrities and others very wealthy. A Guardian investigation revealed that one of Britain's most significant Jurassic fossil collections was recently sold to a museum in Abu Dhabi for an eight-figure sum.
The collection, amassed by private collector Chris Moore, included 318 specimens, some possibly unknown to science. The sale was described by some experts as a loss for the nation, but British museums lacked the funds to acquire it.
Historical Context
Fossil hunting is not a modern pursuit. Mary Anning, born at nearby Lyme Regis in 1799, made breathtaking discoveries along this coastline, including the first complete plesiosaur skeleton. Her legacy is evident in the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre, where fossil collecting is encouraged.
The West Dorset fossil collecting code of conduct notes that on the rapidly eroding coast, fossil collecting is essential to save specimens from destruction by the sea. Ownership of fossils passes to the finder, provided they follow the code.
Addictive Nature of Fossil Hunting
As Curtis and a companion comb the beach, Curtis points to a smooth, brown, bullet-shaped object: a belemnite, the fossilised remains of a squid-like creature. "That belemnite's 190m years old. And we are the only three people to ever see that creature," he says.
Curtis spent much of his childhood on the beach with his father, finding fossils in Kimmeridge. He later turned his hobby into a business, running guided fossil walks and selling specimens he has prepared using air chisels and iron-powder air abrasion.
Impact of Social Media
Curtis says TikTok and Instagram have transformed fossil hunting in recent years, introducing many more people to the activity. "It's really changed the scope of fossil hunting down here. It's now making it a lot harder because it's introducing a lot more people to fossil hunting," he says.
The influx of fossil hunters during Covid staycations accelerated the trend. Curtis believes parts of the coastline are being over-collected, as the erosion rate struggles to keep up with the number of people on the beach.
Competition and Collections
Competition among professional fossil hunters is intense, with experts keeping an eye on one another as they inspect new falls. Rare finds or beautifully prepared specimens can command substantial sums.
Some fossil hunters have amassed remarkable collections. Figures like Moore have become big names, with his specimens displayed in museums and counting David Attenborough among his friends. The recent sale has cemented Moore's status, but his collection is unlikely to be the last to leave Britain.
Curtis is philosophical about his friend's collection being sold overseas. "It's always sad when things like that go abroad," he says, adding that Moore had worked hard on his collection. "The key thing is it's being enjoyed by someone," he said. "It's all well and good having a good collection, but it's no good stuck in a box somewhere."
There is a striking irony: the remains of creatures hidden for 190 million years are now being sold to countries whose modern wealth derives from oil. Yet on the beach, the international marketplace feels far away. For Curtis, size isn't everything. "[A discovery] doesn't have to be big. It just generally needs to be special," he says.
