To fully appreciate the geological diversity of Waterloo Bay it is best to visit at low tide when the progression of the rocks on the foreshore through the millennia can be clearly seen from the promenade as one walks north from the leisure centre where free parking is available. The foreshore is normally well exposed for 3 hours either side of low tide, however one of the most significant areas of the site is normally visible at high tide and this is reflected in the logging requirements for the cache. The whole area has full public access, but please refrain from hammering or otherwise damaging the rocks so that other people can appreciate them in line with Geocaching principles and the importance of the site as an Area Of Special Scientific Interest.
The oldest rocks on the shore, a little north of the leisure centre, are brick red mudstones. Below the cliff that overlooks the promenade are greenish-grey siltstones which give way further north to black shale with thin layers containing fossil shells. Then comes a change to paler sandstones. The start of the Jurassic period is defined about a metre or so south of the disused sewer pipe and ammonites have been found in the rocks here. In 1999, an ichthyosaur, also popularly known as the 'Larne Sea Dragon' or 'Minnis Monster' was found nearby. It is the most complete ichthyosaur, an extinct type of fossil marine reptile, to be found in Northern Ireland. A mature geology student, Brian McGee, from Queen’s University Belfast, spotted some fossil bones in 200 million year old mudstones on the shore. Two large blocks of rocks containing the bones were excavated, including part of the backbone and rib cage, scattered pieces of the front limbs, the lower jaw, and several teeth. These are on display at the Ulster Museum. The site where the cache is located has been identified as representative of where the Jurassic period, called the Age Of The Sea Monsters, begins. The Jurassic period took place from 200 to 145 million years ago and was marked by a rise in sea-level that led to the majority of the landscape here being covered by a shallow sea. The climate was warm and humid, and any land that was exposed would have been well vegetated. The rocks that resulted from this rise in sea level are mostly grey mudstones, known as lias clay, and limestone, which can also be seen here. Mudstones from the Jurassic period are very soft. These rocks underlie the cliffs of the nearby Antrim Coast Road, known for its frequent landslides. Due to their high clay content they can absorb lots of water so after heavy rain they become slippery and simply slide off the hills. There is useful signage along the promenade and on the path up to the road above GZ.
To log this cache please send me a message containing the following information. The area you will be looking at is very small and is not shown on maps. Any finds logged for which I have not received a message containing a reasonable attempt at the answers will be deleted.
1. You should find a large rock at the Stage 1 waypoint. It is different from the surrounding rocks and is one of the two main types which resulted from the rise in sea levels along the North Antrim coast. Which one is it?
2. At the Stage 2 waypoint you will find an interesting feature. Describe the appearance, colour and texture of what you see here.