Campaign rescue the body of the Pliosaur hidden in the cliffs of Kimmeridge
Etches' Pliosaur is a world record holder!
Following on from the success of the BBC documentary ‘Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster’ The Etches Collection is in the process of planning the next phase of the extraordinary adventure that brought about the acclaimed documentary. The new pliosaur skull is on permanent display at our museum in Kimmeridge and is now a Guinness World Record holder for being the most complete pliosaur skull in existence
Finding the Pliosaur's body!
The response from the public has been unprecedented; it truly has captured imaginations. So much so that almost every visitor to the museum asks these two questions as they examine the incredible skull: ‘Is the rest of the body in the cliff?’ and ‘Are you going to get it?’. The answer is a resounding ‘Yes!’ to both. This comes with authority from Dr Steve Etches, MBE based on his observations during the initial excavation. Anyone who knows Steve well, knows that he won’t give up the chance of excavating the remaining pliosaur body.
Raising monrey for phase two of the excavations
Phase two of the excavation comes with its own set of enormous challenges to carry out the very important and challenging work of finding and excavating perhaps 10 more metres of Jurassic Sea monster. We will be working with several expert partners to make sure that the excavation is planned legally, ethically, safely and with the least impact to the natural environment. In order to do this the museum will need support for both the financial and logistical elements of the work. The Skull is already a world class specimen that will unlock many new scientific secrets, so imagine what more the body reunited with the skull could tell us about this fascinating prehistoric predator, while making it one of the most important and complete pliosaur specimens in the world. How did this monster live, hunt and die? Was it male or female, fully grown or juvenile? These, and many more, questions may be answered by scientific study of the fully excavated beast.
The museum is currently in the process of raising money for the excavation, but we still have a long way to go. Donations will go towards the cost of the excavation, as well as the associated preparation, preservation, scientific study, gallery updates and education. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to rescue probably one of the best preserved pliosaurs worldwide.
“The excavation of the remaining Pliosaur body is a race against time and nature, so this is a priority for me, especially since we could soon lose important pieces of the specimen due to rapid cliff erosion. Any help that people can provide towards this unique fundraising opportunity, where you will play an incredible part in making palaeontological history, we would be truly grateful.” – Dr Steve Etches, MBE.
Visit the Museum in Kimmeridge
There is a lot more to come in the saga of the Kimmeridge pliosaur; now affectionately referred to as the ‘Sea Rex’.
If you haven’t yet seen the incredible Sea Rex skull, why not come down to Kimmeridge and visit the museum? We are open daily from 10am until 5pm (Last admission is at 4:15pm).
How to donate to the Sea Rex Campaign
You can contribute to the excavation by visiting our fundraising page on the Justgiving.com/campaign/searex
