The lack of scientific documentation of a geoheritage site, including its conservation and interpretation, not only reduces its significance but also offers little to visitors endeavouring to understand its history.Dr Ritesh Arya, a geologist, hydrogeologist, palaeontologist and founder of the Tethys Fossil Museum, Dangyari, near Kasauli, made this observation after exploring the high-altitude valleys of Langza and Komic in Spiti, located at elevations of 14,000-15,000 feet, recently.Observing a major gap in the visit aimed at identifying, documenting and understanding geological localities of potential geoheritage importance, Dr Arya remarked, “There is very little geological interpretation available to visitors in the village and surrounding fossil landscape. The fossil heritage of Spiti is considerably richer than the famous ammonites for which Langza is popularly known.”Highlighting its significance, he stressed, “Some of the best-known Jurassic fossil horizons of the Langza-Komic region are approximately 145-150 million years old—a time when dinosaurs dominated the land and marine organisms flourished in the ancient Tethys Ocean.”“These fossils are therefore not merely objects of curiosity. They are records of an ancient ocean, its biodiversity, environment and the geological processes that ultimately helped create the Himalayas,” remarked the geologist.Pertinently, the Geological Survey of India has identified “Marine Fossil Treasure, Langza Village, Lahaul & Spiti District, Himachal Pradesh” among the six geoheritage sites declared during its 176th Foundation Day initiative.“This recognition is an important step, but it must be followed by visible conservation, interpretation and scientific documentation on the ground,” Dr Arya said.He noted a striking lack of geological interpretation signage in the landscape, prompting him to make several recommendations for its upkeep. “A geoheritage site should not simply have a designation. A visitor should be able to recognise, understand and experience the geoheritage,” he noted.The next step should therefore be the development of a comprehensive Langza geoheritage interpretation and conservation plan comprising a geological and fossil museum, protected in-situ fossil localities, scientific documentation, geological signboards, trained local guides, community participation and responsible geoheritage tourism, he suggested.Dr Arya believes that the existing community interest can be developed into a scientifically documented and responsibly managed geoheritage tourism model, where visitors can see fossils, understand their scientific significance and, where appropriate, visit protected fossil-bearing exposures in the field.“A properly designed geological museum, combined with protected in-situ fossil localities, trained local guides and a network of geological interpretation signs, could create a completely new model of tourism for Langza,” he noted.At present, a local monastery has some fossil specimens displayed in boxes, which visitors can see for a modest entry charge reportedly around Rs 30.But beyond such limited displays, there is a conspicuous absence of proper geological signboards explaining the fossil heritage of Langza, necessitating an urgent network of scientifically prepared signboards elaborating on the subject. “A signboard should not merely point towards a fossil locality but should portray its geological story,” remarked the geologist, highlighting how this key geoheritage site is a record of an ancient ocean, its biodiversity, environment and the geological processes that created the Himalayas.