A seemingly simple beach walk turned out to be a pathway to history after Belinda McCall stumbled across a unique piece of coastal architecture that turned out to be a fossil!
North Beach, South Africa (05 September 2024) — When Belinda McCall got the opportunity to step away from her busy schedule for a long weekend along the Wild Coast, she had no idea she’d stumble across a remarkable discovery and a slice of history.
Belinda might have accounted for gorgeous views and coastal wonders, but her expectations would soon be exceeded after one beach walk turned out to be a pathway to a precious part of the past, right here in the Eastern Cape along the Wild Coast’s North Beach.
“During a marine walk with our lodge guide, I stumbled upon something extraordinary,” Belinda tells Good Things Guy.
“As we wandered along the untouched coastline at low tide, I noticed a ‘shiny rock face’ catching the sunlight. Intrigued, I approached it and was astonished to find what appeared to be a large, fan-shaped fossil embedded in the rock. It was unlike anything I had seen before.”
Belinda explains that at first, she felt a mixed wave of disbelief and excitement—wondering whether her lucky find could actually be something archaeologists often spend years to find.
After calling out to the walk guide, the excitement grew as the guide shared that she had never encountered the discovery during any of her previous walks.
“We both realised that this might be a significant discovery,” Belinda says.
After snapping up photos of the scene, they returned to the lodge and sent the photos off to a geologist to learn more.
“A few days later, after returning home, I received updates from our guide via WhatsApp, confirming that we had indeed made a significant find. The fossil, according to experts, likely dates back to the Devonian or Carboniferous periods when much of what is now South Africa was covered by shallow seas.
“The suggested that it could be an imprint of a marine invertebrate, such as a brachiopod or possibly a plant like a fossilised fern,” Belinda informs.
Her guide added, “Certainly looks like material was compressed into sedimentary sandstone and fossilised. And I can see the later (younger) rocks of aeoliante over the very much older sedimentary rock. Definitely flipped by hectic seas we’ve had—my guess at the moment is a late Devonian compressed fossil. Unusual shape and size. The mineralisation aspect is also intriguing.”
This was the beginning of the discovery of even more slices of history on the beach, as the guide returned back only to have made more fossil discoveries including a small piece of petrified wood.
“As of now, the fossil I discovered remains at North Beach, reburied by the shifting sands of the tide. While there has been no formal decision on what will happen to it, there is a possibility that it may be removed and preserved due to its fragile state,” says Belinda.
“Personally, I feel incredibly fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time to witness this remarkable piece of natural history. This experience has deepened my appreciation for the extraordinary beauty and wonder of our country, a land that reveals its secrets in the most unexpected ways.”
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