Today, we have an interesting guest post from long-time ESCONI member Marie Angkuw. Marie is part of the Lyme Regis Babes as John Catalani has named them. Marie, Rhonda Gates, Jann Bergsten, and Deborah Lovely have taken numerous trips to Europe to collect fossils. They’ve been to Lyme Regis (multiple times), Whitby, Yorkshire, and the Isle of Wight. This time it was Marie, Jann, and Rhonda on a trip to Denmark to collect echinoids!

Here is their story as told by Marie.

Collecting Echinoids (Sea Urchins) in North Jutland, Denmark

By Marie Angkuw

I don’t think there are too many in our Midwest fossil community who have Denmark on their bucket list as a fossiling destination. I didn’t, until about two years ago when Rhonda Gates introduced me to an Instagram site where I saw the most exquisite 66 MYO fossilized sea urchins posted by a local collector who lives in Thisted, Denmark.

If you know Rhonda and/or me, you’d know sea urchins, or echinoids, are our kryptonite fossils. In pursuit of these lovely little gems, we’ve been collecting in Holden Beach, North Carolina, (GREAT fossiling) and at the chalk cliffs in Eastbourne and Isle of Wight, UK (NOT so great!). So, it wasn’t a stretch for us to seriously entertain a trip to Denmark. In April 2025, with little information to go on and a great leap of faith, Rhonda and I, along with Jann Bergsten, headed to North Jutland in Denmark.

Getting to Know the Area

The Limfjord region in North Jutland is about a five-hour drive from Copenhagen. The region sits on the Precambrian Fennoscandian Shield (also known as the Baltic Shield) with sedimentary layers deposited during the Paleogene and Neogene Periods. It is especially noted for the mo-clay diatomite rock deposits (thick layers of fossilized algae (diatoms) skeletons made of silica) – which formed roughly 55 MYA during the Eocene. The layers of ash from ancient volcanic eruptions are interspersed with the mo-clay, which helped preserve a record of the marine life from that time.

Sea urchins first appeared in the late Ordovician about 450 million years ago. Some of these ancient forms resemble modern sea urchins, but the group did not begin to evolve until about 252 million years ago after the Permian- Triassic Mass Extinction (aka The Great Dying, which eliminated roughly 90 percent of species on Earth).

During the late Cretaceous, sea urchins were common along a band from the Northwest to the Southeast of Denmark. Glacial landscaping and Holocene-era coastal changes exposed the ancient sedimentary formations such that fossilized sea urchins can be found today in many areas of Denmark.

Our Instagram friend provided a general map of the collecting area, essentially several beaches along the Limfjord inlet sea. We were based less than 1,000 yards from the Thy National Park, well within a 30-minute drive to the Limfjord (and island of Mors) collecting sites.

Island of Mors – The Fossil and Mo-Clay Museum

On our first full day in North Jutland, we traveled the short distance to the island of Mors to visit the Fossil and Mo-clay Museum. We originally wanted to go to the museum on the island of Fur, noted for its outstanding collection, gift shop and stellar reviews, but we were thwarted by seasonal hours and instead planned to go to the Mors museum.

The Fossil and Mo-clay Museum (Fossil- og Molermuseet) is in the middle of nowhere and was a challenge to find, though we did get to see Denmark’s oldest tractor museum! One online review stated that the Fossil and Mo-clay Museum collection was housed in a converted stable, so I had guarded expectations. We hoped to learn about collecting sites on the island and to have a resource to help with identifying our finds. I was also curious about the guided tours to a mo-clay pit within walking distance of the museum. When we finally arrived, the little museum that could exceeded all my expectations, especially when I saw a small, top-loading freezer stocked with ice cream.

We were greeted by three generous and enthusiastic staff members who were surprised to have American fossil collectors visit their museum. To the delight of staff scientist Ian Rasmus, I presented several Mazon Creek fossils to share with his paleontology students, and sea urchins from Holden Beach were given to our new friends. Rhonda, Jann and I were each gifted what can only be described as a “big ass” sea urchin! After some time viewing the fantastic collections, we were then directed to the mo-clay pit and from there, to one of the museum’s favorite collecting beaches. Quick note: one of the recommended sites was closed due to the nesting season of the local birds.

Ah, the Beaches!

Collecting along the inlet sea was a breeze. Parking was a stone’s throw from the beach…once you found the place. Conditions that that could’ve maimed us, or worse, in Whitby and the Jurassic Coast were non-existent in Limfjord; no cliffs, and the tides were imperceptible, so we didn’t have to sync our trip with optimal tidal conditions or beat the tide at any pinch points along the beach. Sunrise was 7:15 am and sunset at 8:10 pm, and we rarely needed more than a sweater and sunglasses – basically, perfect conditions. Compared to collecting Mazon Creek fossils, I felt like I was cheating!

Finding the urchins was a slow amble along a flat, narrow rocky shore. Varieties included Echinocorys, Galerites, Cyclaster and Micraster (rare). The “frequency of finds” was good, especially with three people collecting in the same area. Other than a friendly farm cat and a rabbit, we were the only ones on the beaches.

How do we get into a Quarry?

We knew from our research that quarries presented another opportunity for collecting, but the million-dollar question was how do we get in? Though most quarries are privately owned, owners are generally open to allowing collectors onto their property. Our Instagram friend was willing to share the name and phone number of an owner on whose property he regularly collects; however, we needed to initiate the call. With the help from my Danish friend Susanne Ali, we were given access to the Kallerup Gravel Pit, surprisingly during work hours!

The Vognmand Henrik Thomsen Company operates three sites around Thisted. We were privileged to visit two with the second being the best. The 25-foot high mounds throughout the quarry were separated depending on the size of the crusher the material had just gone through. We spent two productive hot days in the pit scanning the piles and grounds. A good rain would have been nice. Most everything was covered in a light layer of residual dirt and dust kicked up by the trucks that sped through the quarry every 15 minutes or so. This was only one of many quarries throughout the region.

On to the Baltic Sea

The chalk cliffs of Sangstrup Klint (just over 50 feet high) are located on the eastern end of the Mols Peninsula along the Baltic Sea. It is a popular collecting site among serious collectors and families. As far as clay cliffs, these were the safest cliffs we’ve ever explored. In fact, when researching the area, nothing was mentioned about staying clear of the cliffs or even being aware of the incoming tides. Mom and Dad, let your kids loose!

The fossils found here are from the Danian age and older Cretaceous Period, the most common being sea urchins and sharks’ teeth. We found many released urchins as well as several in chunks of flint matrix. Other possible fossil finds include sea stars, corals, brachiopods, oysters, and clams. Surprisingly, Rhonda found an ammonite.

We spent one day at Sangstrup Klint; it deserved another.

Cidaris in matrix—a rare species found by Rhonda!

Thank You, Denmark!

Our 2025 trip to Denmark was a departure from our annual UK trips. In fact, this March, Rhonda and I will return to the rugged cliffs of Whitby, UK.

As fossil collectors, we understand that visiting a site with very little information other than pictures may result in few finds. And the risk is exponential when the location is a continent away. But the proverbial fossil gods heard our silent worries and answered with plentiful, beautiful fossil finds, a hundred times worth the risk. Thank you!

As I close this essay my thoughts are with the Danish people: hospitable, generous, conscientious drivers, excellent bakers, lovely. Except for one woman on the Metro, they are the nicest and the 2nd happiest nation of people in the world (as of a 2025 survey of countries). Yet, I worry about the uncertainty that the Danes and Greenlanders are facing today. I pray that rational, intelligent, humane and calmer voices will prevail during this needless crisis, and I hope to someday return to Denmark to continue with my new friends a shared interest in science and all things fossils.