Between 120 and 125 million years ago, the Island was teeming with Dinosaurs - a total of 29 different species are now known to have come from here. The Iguanodon - a huge plant eating dinosaur which grew up to 9 metres long - live here. So did the five-metre long Polacanthus, a tank-like vegetarian that was protected by thick bony plates embedded in its skin and large spikes on its back and shoulders. And then there were the mightiest of them all: the long necked Sauropods - the tallest, longest and heaviest creatures ever to have walked the earth! Not all of the locals subsisted on a meat-free diet. The Neovenator roamed these parts. This fast, sleek hunter had powerful hind legs and razor-sharp, serrated teeth with which it bit great mouthfuls from its prey. Another local hunter was the small and agile Eotyrannus, a natural born killer and ancestor of the most feared of all dinosaurs - the ferocious T-Rex.

The reason we know so much about these ancient creatures and the land they inhabited is because of the strata of rock that forms much of the Island. This is from the lower cretaceous period, a particularly rich and diverse period for dinosaurs. On top of this, successive earth movements have bought to the surface fossils that were once beneath the seabed, while ongoing coastal erosion continues to expose yet more in the Island's cliffs.

All in all, conditions are perfect for preserving and finding dinosaur remains and new discoveries are being made all the time. You could be next!

If you are interested in finding out more about dinosaurs, the Island has three must-see attractions. First call is Dinosaur Isle in Sandown, where you'll find life-sized reconstructions, including an animatronic Neovenator that actually roars and moves, plus mounted skeletons and a time tunnel that takes you back to the sights and smells of the cretaceous period. The Pterosaur-shaped building houses a working lab where visitors can meet the staff, and there are interactive attractions where children can try their hand at palaeontology.

Dinosaur Isle also has a fabulous range of local fossil finds and a good collection of remains of Ice Age mammals that have been found on the Island, including woolly mammoth tusks, hippopotami tusks and bison skulls.

Next port of call is the Dinosaur Farm Museum at Brighstone, which is situated on a five-mile stretch of coast that has been severely eroded over the years. In 1993 it was this erosion that revealed one of the Island's most remarkable finds: the Barnes High Sauropod, one of the largest Sauropods to have been found in Europe. And just last year, another skeleton was discovered on the Fams's land - this one belonged to an Iguanodon.

Today, the museum displays a range of locally found fossils and skeletons. Volunteers demonstrate the delicate work involved in cleaning these precious discoveries - including the latest Iguanodon find as it comes out of the ground. There's also a free fossil identification service, while younger visitors can enjoy 3D dinosaur jigsaws, a fossil sandpit and dinosaur rubbings.

Finally, pop into the Blackgang Chine Fossil shop next door to Blackgang Chine Theme Park. There are footprints and replicas of all sorts of bits of dinosaurs here, as well as ammonites, trilobites and other fossils. While here, you may also wish to take in Dinosaurland, part of the neighbouring theme park, which has a number of large fibreglass model dinosaurs on display.

If all this has whetted your appetite for a dino-hunt, why not get out here? Dinosaur Isle arranges trips to Yaverland, lead by qualified palaeontologists, while both Dinosaur Farm and Blackgang Chine Fossil Shop make regular expeditions to Brighstone and Brook.