Learn about a unique collection of Jurassic fossils!
Welcome to The Etches Collection - a modern museum & centre for learning in Kimmeridge on Dorset's World Heritage Jurassic Coast. We are home to nearly 3000 amazing fossil specimens all collected from the Kimmeridge Bay locality. The majority of our fossils were found by one man - our founder - Dr Steve Etches MBE. Our mission - to tell the fascinating story of Life & Death of the diverse marine life that swam in the Jurassic seas of Kimmeridge, Dorset, 157 million years ago.
Through our videos you can explore what goes on behind the scenes, as our Head of Collections - Dr Steve Etches - collects, prepares and conserves the stunning and exquisite, weird yet wonderful fossil creatures - many of which are new to science, unravelling & unlocking their secrets, revealing their 'stories from deep time'.
Two mistakes I see even before you reached your destination. 1) low freeboard boat in open ocean is never a good idea. 2) not wearing life vests is never good.
We agree, however this wasn't so much the open ocean more just a few metres deep at best off of the Dorset coast where the ledges keep the water level incredibly shallow. On this ocassion the team seen decided against wearing life jackets (Not a decision we would recommend either). This was many years ago, before we became a registered institution and these individuals were acting of their own accord at that time. We just have the pleasure of sharing this video captured from the event. We of course wouldn't allow an excavation like this without the relevant safety precautions.
Surely the key point is that crocodiles have not evolved in the supposed 100 million years or whatever it is.Also, what was the cause of death, and how come the croc was preserved as a fossil ( if not in the biblical flood of 4500 years ago?)
I believe a bone fell out of the cliff and was lost sometime after the main excavation. Did I get that right?? If so would it be worth your while putting out a video with the shape and size of the bone illustrated and appeal to the collecting community to come forward and discuss whether it could be reunited with the specimen. You can’t be 100% sure that it’s been claimed by the sea. It might be worth a punt. Well done Phillip on your Guinness book of records certificate.
Phillip the kudos belonge to you....yes,Steve and Chris and Alex will get the credit for excavating it, but you"re the one that found it...i don't know if you'll remember,but myself and Chris met you on the beach a few months ago,we had a chat about the skull and we asked if we could follow you down the beach...you obliged... we got to the cut off point,right around the corner where said skull was found and we stopped....not thinking we could go any further... you just took your wellies off,stuffed them in your rucksack and waded round.......it took us another half hour to get the balls to follow you,but eventually we got round,but never managed to catch up with you...i'm glad you're now getting the recognition that you deserve,i hope they get the funding to get the rest of it out...
Yes I remember you well. I excavated some pliosaur verts that day. Then on the way back to Clavells I spotted a large plesiosaur humerus embedded in the rock. I managed to extract it and only just made it back round Clavells with the waves coming uo to my chest and a very heavy rucksack. I didn`t bother to take my wellingtons off on the way back, there wasn`t time. I just let them fill up with water.
It is, the competition is running again this year but we have reinvigorated it and teamed up with Lyme Regis Museum and Charmouth Heritage centre to make it bigger and better than ever.
@@TheEtchesCollection Actually, almost surprisingly, yes, as this was the first time I found a significant amount at the site (Maastrichtian Cretaceous at the type locality)! Thanks for asking! I've still got a lot of matrix to sort through and am hoping for at least a few more teeth - if not one from the ever elusive mosasaurs - but with a score of nine sharks' teeth so far, it's proven far better than my previous visits! Still, nothing compared to the sites you've got over in the UK...!
