Wight Coast Fossils was established in 2019 by island-born fossil hunters Jack Wonfor, Megan Jacobs, and Theo Vickers. Our aim was to establish a professional, modern and bespoke guided fossil walk business on the island, that emphasised science communication and educational experiences. We hope to allow people of all ages, interests and abilities to enjoy and explore the amazing ancient story preserved in our island’s internationally unique geological and paleontological heritage!
Megan Jacobs BSc. hons, MRes
Megan is a PhD student at the University of Portsmouth, researching the preservation of the Isle of Wight’s dinosaurs! A born islander, Megan has a huge fossil collection from years of collecting and excavating dinosaurs on the island’s south coast. In recent years, Megan has undertaken fieldwork from Morocco and Texas to Germany and Switzerland, and has published many scientific papers, including naming new genera and species of pterosaurs, dinosaurs and ichthyosaurs! And is currently studying a T-rex called Trintiy! She is an experienced island fossil guide, delivering guided walks for over 10 years!
Theo Vickers BSc. hons, MSc.
Theo is a marine biologist, award-winning underwater photographer and avid fossil hunter! Born on the island, Theo grew up with a love for all natural history, from fossils to marine life. As a local fossil hunter, Theo is interested in an array of island fossils, but is best-known for his important fossil mammal finds! As a modern marine biologist, Theo’s research focuses on sharks and rays, particularly stingrays. His underwater photography of the island’s marine life has won international awards, and he works with an array of local marine conservation organisations.
Jack Wonfor
Jack is a passionate island fossil collector and visiting-researcher with the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Portsmouth. From childhood Jack has amassed an amazing and significant collection of island Fossils. Jack worked at Dinosaur Isle museum in Sandown for five years where he developed a particular interest in Ammonites, and has since made a name for himself with the enormous specimens he collects from the ‘Back of the Wight’! In 2023 Jack discovered a specimen of the ammonite Tropaeum bowerbanki, which may be the largest of its species ever found! Jack specialises in marine invertebrates and although his primary collecting is centred around Ammonites, Jack has also developed a huge collection of Cretaceous Bivalves. In 2023, Jack also worked with the Natural History Museum in London, to produce a page centred around Fossil Collecting on the Isle of Wight! More recently he has focused his efforts in developing his preparation techniques to clean up these giants! When he’s not fossil hunting, Jack serves and protects our island community as a Firefighter.
Team members
Nelle Findlay
“Hello everyone! My name is Nelle, and I’m excited to introduce myself as a tour guide with Wight Coast Fossils on the beautiful Isle of Wight. My family moved here from Bermuda when I was two, and I’ve been fascinated by palaeontology ever since. I’m particularly passionate about the ice age and extinct human species. I speak English, Spanish, and British Sign Language fluently, and I’m currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Modern Languages. In my free time, I enjoy watching and critiquing documentaries about prehistory, knitting and crocheting, and improving my speed at solving the Rubik’s cube. I can’t wait to share my love for fossils and all the weird and wonderful extinct creatures that make up the island’s history with all of you!”
Joe Thompson – BSc. / MSci.
Joe has just completed his BSc. and MSci. in Palaeontology & Evolution at the University of Bristol! Joe also runs an Instagram called South Coast Fossils which is well worth following for his fossil adventures!
“Living on the Solent my whole life has allowed me to gain an extensive knowledge of the Eocene and Oligocene deposits of the Hampshire Basin, both on the island and the mainland. I discovered a potential new species of small carnivorous mammal on the north coast of the island, which can now be seen in the Dinosaur Isle Museum. My studies in and around the Bristol area have also led to the discovery of two marine reptile skeletons, found and prepared my myself. I specialise in the micro-vertebrate assemblages of the Late Eocene and intend to expand this to the other Palaeogene deposits on the island. I look forward to running tours all around the island’s beautiful coast and sharing my passion with everyone!”
Huxley Hunt
Many of you may know Huxley from his magic shows around the island, but behind the magician is a fossil enthusiast!
When he’s not performing, he’s been leading fossil hunting tours, working at the Planetarium at Fort Victoria and is an active member of the Robert Hooke Society. Between it all, still finds time to head out collecting with friends to add to his own growing collection of amazing Isle of Wight fossils!
“I LOVE chatting about fossils! Be that to learn all about a new one… discover your favourite one and why…congratulate or show off to my buddies and teammates of our latest cool finds…to answer the many questions from my beautiful and hilarious toddlers…or admit defeat that my gorgeous girl found a bigger tooth than me…to amaze folk with my IOW dino creations like my bag tags and functional dinosaur ceramics…or simply bumping into someone on the shoreline to ask ‘what ya found today??’. So, I can’t wait to take you and your family and friends out on one of my tours, where I know we will have a giggle, learn some things and find some treasures..all while making memories! I’ll see you on the beach!”