On Saturday July 20, 2013 Westmoreland State Park staff helped recover and transport a 1000lb skull specimen from the cliffs of nearby Stratford Hall. The skull is believed to be from a species known as Baleen Whales. They lived during the Miocene era approximately 10-15 million years ago. It is thought to be the largest ever found in the region and the total length of the whale is estimated to be 35 feet.
A plaster of paris cast is formed to protect the skull
A unique geology present only in a couple of places on the east coast of the US makes finding fossils from the Miocene rather easy along the shores of the Potomac River in Westmoreland County. Animals and ocean species like whales, alligators, sharks, mammoths, camels etc. can be released at anytime by the eroding cliffs. These animals and fish were present during a time when places like Richmond, Virginia were the shore line for the ocean.
A porpoise skull is excavated in June from the park cliffs by Stephen J. Godfrey Ph.D. Curator of Paleontology, Calvert Marine Museum
A porpoise skull is excavated in June from the park cliffs by Stephen J. Godfrey Ph.D. Curator of Paleontology, Calvert Marine Museum
Paleontologists and other scientists study the cliffs under special use permits granted by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. When specimens are identified that are close to being released or loss by erosion into the river, they are recovered by teams and prepared by students in universities for study. They are later returned to the state and parks for display.
Here, the baleen whale skull is loaded onto the boat ready for a 2 mile trip to the boat landing at Westmoreland State Park
Fossil collecting is permitted by the general public at Westmoreland State Park along the beach in the day use area and at Fossil Beach which can be accessed by a trail from the Visitors Center. The most popular finds are sharks teeth. Seining devices can be borrowed from the Visitors center to aid in the search.
It is important to remember that the areas below the cliffs are off limits and DANGEROUS!! The cliffs can collapse at anytime and with little or no disturbance. That is why State Park law enforcement rangers strictly enforce trespassing in those areas.
Park manager Ken Benson along with rangers; Jim Ketner (on tractor), Grady Boswell and Ranger Brandon Boswell rig a sling and remove the whale from the boat ramp to the waiting Calvert Museum truck.
Scientists are very careful to evaluate the importance of the find and the condition of the cliff before any work is done. Then they carefully excavate the find using special methods that will not further disturb the cliffs or endanger themselves. Digging into the cliffs at Westmoreland State Park is illegal without a special use permit issued by the park.
To learn more about fossils and fossil collecting please contact Westmoreland State Park at 804-493-8821. We offer special fossil kayak trips, sharks tooth necklace making programs, and guided hikes to fossil beach!
Popular Fossil Beach at Westmoreland State Park drains Great Meadows wetland swamp