I am no expert on timber or geology.

While at Wreck beach where my recent anchor shots were taken, I came across this oddity. Odd because it looks to me to be a planed cedar plank firmly embedded in solid rock.Is this plank off one of the may shipwrecks in the area dating back to the 1870's? If so how did it come to be enclosed in solid rock? Could this rock be a form of recently formed mud stone? Note the embedded sea shell.

The timber in the immediate area of the cliff tops is low windblown scrub, certainly not capable of producing a piece of timber this size. Further inland there are substantial hardwood Eucalypt forests. The grain on this does not resemble Eucalypt to me.

[waterfall]

My guess is a sedimentary rock randomly deposited. Other possibility is of course driftwood. Some igneous rocks also display striations. Our State Rock in Minnesota is the agate, which often displays highly colored lamina. Agates I think are igneous. Maybe a canoe voyeaguer from Grand Marais had the rock as a talisman and drowned in the shore break?

If you kept the rock, try polishing the exposed surface. Might expose its origin.

Nice shot.

[RGlasel]

While at Wreck beach where my recent anchor shots were taken, I came across this oddity.

Sorry, I thought you were referring to Wreck Beach, Vancouver.

Could this rock be a form of recently formed mud stone?

Makes sense to me, the seashell hasn't been mineralized like a true fossil, and it is also likely that any ships wrecked there would have been built with timber from a long distance away. To see the wood grain, it would have to be cut with man made tools, and it is less likely that a locally sawn plank would end up on this beach. So no pictures of oddities from the Canadian Wreck Beach, eh?

[jac]

Interesting. Did you save a sample?

[Bruce Clark]

Interesting. Did you save a sample?

No. This is a heritage listed area. Besides I would have needed excavation tools to do so.

Sorry, I thought you were referring to Wreck Beach, Vancouver.
Makes sense to me, the seashell hasn't been mineralized like a true fossil, and it is also likely that any ships wrecked there would have been built with timber from a long distance away. To see the wood grain, it would have to be cut with man made tools, and it is less likely that a locally sawn plank would end up on this beach. So no pictures of oddities from the Canadian Wreck Beach, eh?

Correct I have not been to the Vancouver site although I should like to get to North America some day.. There is no idications of mineralization in the shell or the wood to my eye

My guess is a sedimentary rock randomly deposited. Other possibility is of course driftwood. Some igneous rocks also display striations. Our State Rock in Minnesota is the agate, which often displays highly colored lamina. Agates I think are igneous. Maybe a canoe voyeaguer from Grand Marais had the rock as a talisman and drowned in the shore break?

If you kept the rock, try polishing the exposed surface. Might expose its origin.

Nice shot.

I did not take any samples, I have sent a copy of the photo to our State Museum. Perhaps they can shed some light on the issue.

---------- Post added 09-01-15 at 01:10 PM ----------

Sorry, I thought you were referring to Wreck Beach, Vancouver.

I just had a look at that website. I don't think camera would be too welcome there. Coincidently thoough as I was walking along our Wreck Beach I did see a strange rock poking above the edge of one of the many rock pools. As I got closer I saw that the rock was in fact a hat. As I go closer I saw that under the hat was a young lady. As I got closer still, I noticed the hat seemed to be all she was wearing. I did not hang around to see if her male companion was similarly attired.