ISLAND beaches have been bustling with locals and visitors in recent weeks, but there is a reminder in the sand of those who walked the land before.

Dinosaur Isle posted a photo on Facebook of a wonderful exposed dinosaur footprint, currently on show in the sands near the museum at Yaverland.

The attraction posted: "This magnificent dinosaur footprint is currently exposed in the foreshore at Yaverland.

"The dinosaur was travelling in a southwesterly direction approximately 125 million years ago."

It comes in the week the museum is marking the 20th year of its opening, and 200 years since the foundation of the collection, by publishing a new guidebook to the Island’s fossils.

Alongside their work providing support to other essential services during the pandemic, staff at the museum have worked with local fine and palaeo artist Trudie Wilson to produce the 230 page book.

It is more than a guide to the museum displays, as it showcases many other fossils, spectacular and common, found on the Island.

The new book is called Dinosaur Isle in 101 Fossils and has been written by assistant community learning officer Alex Peaker and museum general manager and curator Dr Martin Munt.

Rather than describing the individual fossils, the book uses them to tell the 125-million-year geological story of the Island, along with what the fossils tell us about ancient environments.

Mixed in are anecdotes about the people who discovered them and places they were found.

Dr Munt said: “This book has only been possible because of 200 years of fossil collectors, museum staff and volunteers supporting the museum and believing that our world class fossil heritage should stay here where it belongs on the Island.

"The book has been written for the general reader, and we provide a glossary of the technical terms to help with understanding.”