Coal Creek Heritage Trail June 2026 | Page 14

Before the Mountains,

CANADA’ S LARGEST AMMONITE DISCOVERED

Fernie Was a Warm Tropical Ocean

If you were here 150 million years ago, before the Rocky Mountains formed, you would be snorkeling in a vast, warm, shallow, inland sea extending from southern Yukon to the Caribbean. Alarmed at first by the animal’ s size, with its 1.4 metre, vertical coiled shell, you’ d notice long waving tentacles coming out the bottom, feeding a powerful beak for crushing prey.

Here

Ammonite for an Ichthyosaur’ s lunch!

Illustration by Phil Wilson / Stocktrek Images

in 1947

Like dinosaur bones, only the

hard shells of these ancient

Fernie & District Historical Society, FMP01149

invertebrates are preserved. As a result, the creature’ s
full appearance remains

“ I found a fossil truck tire!” exclaimed a BC Geological Survey field crew assistant while prospecting for more coal outcrops to keep the Elk River Colliery viable

A fossil of an Ichthyosaur, from a similar time period as ammonite, was discovered in 1916 near the Morrissey tunnel 12 km south of Fernie. Ichthyosaur resembled a cross between modern fish, dolphin and crocodile.

a mystery! Ammonites vanished at the end of the Cretaceous, silenced by the same event that wiped out the dinosaurs.
Illustration by estt / iStock Photo

into the future. What did he first think-

animal, plant or mineral? It was a massive
AQUATIC CENTRE

coiled fossil imprint of Titanites occidentalis: an ancient giant Western ammonite. Ammonites share common ancestry with octopus / squid / cuttlefish.
FERNIE
MONTANE TRAILHEAD
approx. 1 km
COAL CREEK RD
RIVER RD- Closed to motorized vehicles
P
Coal Creek Heritage Trail Coal Creek Heritage Trail- Phase 2 Other Trail Road
Road- Closed Sign Locations Points of Interest
RIFLE RANGE
AMMONITE TRAIL

YOU ARE HERE 16.4 km
MATHESON FALLS TRAIL