A large fish-shaped fossil was discovered in the Samaria Gorge in Crete during maintenence of the gorge path, which is a great tourist and hiking attraction.
Marine organism fossils are common in the the Cretan mountains, with numerous discoveries in the past, esepcially shells, since the time Crete was submerged in water millions of years ago.
However, the find in the Samaria Gorge probably is of unprecedented value, as it is a fossil in the shape of a large fish that weighs 20kg.
Officials from the Chania Forestry Department informed the experts from the Department of Mineral Resources Engineering of the Technical University of Crete, in order for them to examine the find. After examining it, the experts will ascertain whether it is a well-preserved fossil of a prehistoric fish.
A Professor of the department will go to Omalos to examine the “fish” first hand.
Fossil shells have been discovered many times in the gorge of Samaria and other times during the course of work, with one of the most famous ones being a large rock located at a spot named “Psari” (meaning fish) while in the position “Fish” there is the fossil of a large sea creature.