Colin Hebb

Photo by Colin Hebb

From Fruit and Veg to Fossils: A Life Unearthing the Jurassic Coast

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‘This interview explores the fascinating journey of Colin, a Yorkshire native who traded the bustling market for the breathtaking Jurassic Coast. For 25 years, he sold fruit and vegetables with his father, but a childhood school trip ignited a passion for palaeontology that continues to shape his life.’

Background

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I was born in Beverley in East Yorkshire and worked on the Market with my dad selling fruit and veg for 25 years.

I started fossil collecting when I went on a school trip to saltwick Bay North Yorkshire.

What inspired you to explore the Jurassic Coast?

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I was inspired by my schoolteacher Mr Ball who was a geology teacher when we took a school trip to Saltwick Bay North Yorkshire looking for Ammonites belemnites and marine reptile bone. I have watch david attenborough's dvd Lost world Vanished lives.

Can you share a bit about your background and how it relates to palaeontology or geology?

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I started learning about geology and fossils at school and how the rocks were formed millions of years ago and how fossils are formed.

So, a few years ago, I did a course and learned a lot about palaeontology and earned my Palaeontology Diploma.

What draws you specifically to ancient life and fossils?

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I love the past and what came before millions of years ago I have loved dinosaurs ever since I was a child and found them fascinating.

So, finding their fossils are amazing cracking open a rock to reveal a shell that hasn't seen day light for million years was so amazing.

Photo by Colin Hebb

 What methods do you use to search for fossils along the Jurassic Coast?

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What you need is a trained eye a hammer and chisel it is easy to find fossils if you know what you are looking for like a keel sticking out of a rock or if you can't see anything one hit with the hammer could reveal something interesting.

How do you determine which areas are most promising for finding ancient life?

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The coast is a great place for finding fossils because it is eroding all the time and new fossils could be revealed over night. Also Quarry's are a good place to look if it is safe. Let the sea do its work and pound the cliffs and almost every day there will be cliff falls.

Photo by Colin Hebb

 Can you describe a typical day in the field during your explorations?

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When I plan a fossil hunt, I always check the tide times because I don't want to be cut off by the tide and have to call the coast guard. I get to the beach about 2 hours after high tide which will give me plenty of time to look for fossils on the beach.

I get my eye in and start looking for strange shapes in the rocks like Ammonite keels or the tip of a fossil sticking out of the rock.

I also look for round nodules which may contain ammonite fossils.

I get about 5 hours collecting on a good tide I carry a hammer and chisel I look at all rocks and shale slabs to see if they contain fossils.

The fossils here are around 160-180 million years old.

What has been your most exciting discovery so far?

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My best discovery so far is a beautiful Cleviceras Ammonite that I found at Sandsend near Whitby on the North Yorkshire Coast.

Photo by Colin Hebb

Have you encountered any challenges when searching for fossils? If so, how did you overcome them?

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Every time you go out fossil collecting is a challenge; going down and up the cliffs which can be 200ft high plus massive boulders to climb over in search of fossils then coming back with 6 stone of fossils in your backpack. You do have to have a good level of fitness.

Are there any particular fossils or species you hope to find?

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I would love to find either a marine crocodile or a full Ichthosaur skeleton.

What are your future plans for exploring the Jurassic Coast?

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My future plans are to keep going and try to go to different places along the coastline and more fossil preparation.

Photo by Colin Hebb

 Are there any upcoming projects or research initiatives you’re excited about?

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I am doing some fossil preparation on a big Ichthosaur bone block that was given to me by a friend and looking forward to finishing it.

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