North Yorkshire · Yorkshire and the North East coast
Fossil hunting at Whitby
Jurassic shales and the home of Whitby jet. Ammonites, belemnites and jet on the beaches either side of the town.
Representative photography of this stretch of coast, not a photograph of the site on a particular day.
What can you find?
- AmmonitesCoiled shells of extinct marine molluscs, the classic British fossil.Identify →
- BelemnitesBullet-shaped internal guards of squid-like Jurassic and Cretaceous animals.Identify →
- JetFossilised monkey puzzle wood from the Yorkshire coast, black and very light.Identify →
- BivalvesFossil shellfish with two matching valves, common on most marine sites.Identify →
- Fossilised woodDriftwood and tree remains replaced by minerals, sometimes as jet or lignite.Identify →
- Marine reptile remainsIchthyosaur and plesiosaur vertebrae, teeth and bone fragments.Identify →
About the site
Whitby is the centre of the Yorkshire fossil coast. The Lower Jurassic mudstones exposed in the cliffs and foreshore produce ammonites — including the large Dactylioceras that appear on the town's coat of arms — along with belemnites, bivalves and the jet that supported a whole Victorian industry.
The beaches towards Sandsend to the north and Saltwick Bay to the south are both productive. Loose nodules on the foreshore often contain ammonites; fresh material arrives after every storm.
Jet is found as small black pieces in the shingle and at the strandline. It is light, warm to the touch and leaves a brown streak. Collect it loose — digging jet from the cliffs is unacceptable and the cliffs are dangerous.
Planning a visit
- Geological period
- Early Jurassic (Whitby Mudstone Formation), around 183–174 million years old
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Suitable for children
- Yes, with supervision and attention to the tide and cliffs.
- Best time to go
- Winter and spring after north-easterly storms, on a falling tide.
- Tides
- Saltwick Bay and the foreshore below the cliffs are cut off at high tide. Never walk out on a rising tide.
- Access
- The town, harbour and Whitby Sands promenade are accessible; the rocky foreshore is not.
- Parking
- Several pay and display car parks in Whitby; parking at Saltwick Bay via the holiday park.
- Walking and terrain
- Whitby Sands is immediately by the town; Saltwick Bay is about 2 km east.
- Location type
- Beach, Cliff
- Collecting
- Collect loose material from the foreshore. Parts of the coast are SSSI, and the North York Moors National Park Authority publishes guidance on collecting along this coast.
Safety
- Cliffs here are high and unstable, with frequent falls.
- Saltwick Bay in particular is a serious tidal cut-off risk.
- Wet scars and ledges are very slippery.
What to bring
- Boots with grip
- Tide table
- Bag and wrapping for finds
- Waterproofs
Nearby fossil locations
- 01Runswick BayNorth Yorkshire · Yorkshire and the North East coastAmmonites · Belemnites · Bivalves · Fossilised woodEasyFamily friendlyBeach, CliffExplore location →
- 02Robin Hood's BayNorth Yorkshire · Yorkshire and the North East coastAmmonites · Belemnites · Bivalves · CrinoidsEasyFamily friendlyBeach, Geological siteExplore location →
- 03StaithesNorth Yorkshire · Yorkshire and the North East coastAmmonites · Belemnites · Bivalves · BrachiopodsModerateBeach, CliffExplore location →
- 04Port MulgraveNorth Yorkshire · Yorkshire and the North East coastAmmonites · Belemnites · Bivalves · JetExperiencedBeach, CliffExplore location →