During the Cretaceous age a shallow inland sea covered most of what is now Saskatchewan. It was home to marine creatures such as plesiosaurs which were enormous reptiles related to dinosaurs. These giants measured anywhere from 1.8 to 9 metres (10-50 feet) in length. In 1990 and again in 1997, paleontologists conducted excavations, and removed two plesiosaur skeletons estimated to be about 65 million years old. A third skeleton was reburied to protect it.
Many well preserved fossils have been found in the Herschel area. The oldest include Nautiloid, a type of long shellfish, that dates to the Ordovician period 505-438 million years ago. More common are fossils of clams and snails dating to the Cretaceous age 144-65 million years ago.
At the Interpretive Centre you can see vertebrae from a plesiosaur and pictures of the excavations, along with other Cretaceous-age fossils.
Notice: Archeological, paleontological and historic sites are a fragile and non-renewable resource. They are a legacy of the past which benefit and enrich us all. The conservation and protection of Saskatchewan's heritage is everyone's responsibility.
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