Email us at jenny@islandgems.co.uk or call us on 01983 740493 for more information and bookings.

Welcome to Island Gems!

120 million years ago, the beaches at Brook and Compton on the Isle of Wight would not have been beaches, but large clay areas across which vast herds of Iguanadon, Polycanthus and other dinosaurs would travel, hunted by other carniverous dinosaurs such as the Neovenator, found and named on the Island. As they passed, these dinosaurs left evidence for us to find today!

Join a fossil trip with us, either on your own, with a family, or bringing a whole school party with you, and one of our experienced guides will lead you along the beach from Brook Bay, and help you discover the evidence for yourselves. Footprint casts can easily be seen on the beach, and your guide will point out some of the best examples and let you know which of the Island's dinosaur species left them behind.

If you are very lucky and keep your eyes peeled, you may even find a dinosaur fossil of your very own to take home with you! What you will certainly find is some form of fossil along with other interesting finds to take home with you if you wish - some of our most common finds on the beach include trace fossils, fossilised oyster beds, petrified wood, fool's gold and beautiful crystals. We also have visitors finding Stone Age tools and arrowheads, and sometimes even rarer finds!

Regular trips start at just £4.50 for adults, £3.50 for children and seniors, £13.50 for a family of four (two adults and two children)  or £16.50 for a family of five (two adults and three children), although further discounts apply for large groups or schools, and we can also arrange private trips and trips for various occasions and to suit all types of group

So have a read through the information on the site, have a look at some of the finds and reports in the 'News, Photos, and Videos' section, and then get in touch with Jenny at jenny@islandgems.co.uk or 01983 740493 for more information or to book your place on a fossil trip, and prepare to become a palaeontologist!

We look forward to taking you on a fossil hunt!

                 Jenny, Flick, Greg and the Island Gems Team