Prehistoric Island Tours

Prince Edward Island’s shores hold Canada’s richest terrestrial fossil record of the Permian period, underscoring the province as a globally important paleontological location. In May 2018, Geologist Laura MacNeil found a fossil of large footprints near the PEI National Park near Cavendish. The fossil has been confirmed as that of a sail-backed Bathygnathus Borealis, commonly known as the Dimetrodon, the top predator of its time.

“Prince Edward Island holds Canada’s only fossil record of life on land in the Permian period, almost 300 million years ago”, said Dr. John Calder, Department of Geology, Saint Mary’s University. ”The fossil legacy of the Island has reached a point where it stands proudly on the world stage."

MacNeil now offers shoreline fossil tours to show and teach residents and visitors of PEI about the fascinating geologic history of Prince Edward Island. She also provides information on what to do if you find a fossil, which can be hard to come by in absence of a natural history museum. Prehistoric Island Tours is the only operation in the province offering this experience. Each tour is 75 minutes and starts from the Vernon Bridge area.