Unique fish fossil found in Samaria Gorge in Crete might just be a “sculpture of nature”

A few days ago an amazing finding was discovered in Samaria, the 18 km long gorge located in Chania region.

A 20 kilo and 50 centimeter heavy fish-shaped stone was found by the Forestry department in Chania. The exact position was marked and the stone will be thoroughly examined by experts from the Technical University in order to determine if this is really a pre-historic fish fossil or just a game of nature.

At the same time, a professor of the Technical University Mr Emmanouil Manoutsoglou, having seeing the photograph declares that even though he has still not received the stone, it seems to be just a sculpture of nature and not a fish.

Of course it is well known that the Cretan Mountains and Samaria Gorge used to be located in the bottom of the sea. Shell fossils of marine organism have often been retrieved in the gorge.

As mentioned by unesco.org “In the Samaria Gorge, the fossils of the vertical side surfaces reveal its geological history and adorn the surfaces of rocks in different places. An experienced eye can distinguish organisms such as diatoms and sponges and “read” what was happening across the Mediterranean 180 million years ago.”

The Gorge of Samaria is very impressive and one of the most visited in Crete (in 2016 147.643 people visited the Gorge).

In 1962 it has become a national park and is home to a protected natural environment. The rare Kri Kri (Cretan Goat) lives in the gorge.

If you can cross the 16km of wild landscape, you will find yourself in the beautiful Agia Roumeli, a beautiful change to a calm place after the rough gorge’s environment.

Information retrieved by:

Unique “Fish Fossil” Found In Samaria Gorge In Crete 

“Sculpture” of nature and not a fossil at Samaria

Φορέας Διαχείρισης Εθνικού Δρυμού Σαμαριάς

Images retrieved in TripAdvisor, credits to the travelers.