Wasson Bluffs and the Fundy Geological Museum

After getting an introduction to the unique geology of the area while at Joggins Fossil Cliffs, I was eager to visit the Fundy Geological Museum. The small interpretive center recapped the geological history of Nova Scotia, highlighting its wealth of fossils and abundance of minerals and agates, including its famous amethyst. It was here that I found out that there was another area, Wasson Bluffs, located less than ten miles from the museum that was also world-renowned for its fossil deposits.

Over a hundred thousand fossilized bones have been found at Wasson Bluffs from animals such as dinosaurs, reptiles, proto-mammals, fish, and crocodiles. In fact, in 1984 the oldest dinosaur fossils were found here as were the world’s smallest dinosaur tracks. The sandstone and grey basalt at the Bluffs date mostly from the Triassic-Jurassic boundary that marks one of the major extinction events that was a precursor to dinosaurs flourishing.

The Bluffs, like apparently every other stretch of coast in Nova Scotia, were beautiful. Unlike Joggins however the fossils were not really apparent – and I didn’t really know what I was looking at anyway. But it was a great exploration in an incredibly beautiful setting and I found all sorts of rocks I liked. Since I took lots of pictures of them, it only seems fair that I pass them on.