Haslam Formation outcrops (Vancouver Island, BC)
Late Cretaceous Haslam Formation shales exposed along Vancouver Island streams and shorelines (Trent River, Brannen Lake). Small Cretaceous shark teeth, ammonites, and the occasional mosasaur fragment — Canada's most accessible marine Cretaceous public hunt.
Walk the Trent River canyon at low water (late summer). Sift the soft shale lag below recent slumps. Surface collecting only — no rock-hammering protected outcrops.
Trent River day-use park near Royston, BC. Multiple public access points on the island; check BC Parks for current status.
British Columbia regulates fossil collection under the Fossil Management Framework. Common surface finds are generally allowed; significant vertebrates must be reported to the Royal BC Museum.
- Slippery shale
- Stream-current rises after rain
- Bears and cougars on island streams
- Late August through October is the best low-water window
- Pair with a Royal BC Museum (Victoria) reference visit
- VIPS (Vancouver Island Paleontological Society) runs club hunts — worth joining
Shark teeth findable here
Trophy = headline find · Rare = real score · Uncommon = some trips · Common = most trips.
Also findable here
The beachcomber's bonus round — what else the geology gives up.
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