Giant sea reptile found by couple goes on display

A rare fossil of a giant marine reptile discovered on a beach by a Belgian couple is on display in a new exhibition.

The remains of the 10m (33ft) ichthyosaur were found on the coast of Dorset by Michel and Carine Plissart, who have been scouring the area for fossils for 35 years.

Ichthyosaurs were predatory marine reptiles, and this one lived about 175 million years ago, towards the end of the Early Jurassic Period.

The fossil, the first ichthyosaur found in its rock layer, has been called "globally significant" and is the subject of an exhibition at Bridport Museum.

The Plissarts came across dark shapes in a sandstone bed while exploring a local beach.

"We knew we had found something of immense scientific interest, so we contacted the Charmouth Fossil Centre immediately," said Mr Plissart.

The landowner later gifted the fossil to Bridport Museum.

Grant funding was used to prepare it for study by experts at Bristol University, whose paper on the find is being peer reviewed.

Palaeontologist Sam Scriven, who led the excavation, said the creature lived nine million years after volcanic eruptions depleted oxygen levels in the world's oceans, causing mass extinctions.

"Its very existence proves that the impact of this ancient environmental crisis on top marine predators is still not fully understood," he said.

The exhibition runs until 17 April 2027 and includes a film, a virtual reality experience and a series of talks.

Museum manager Michelle Caesar said: "We are so lucky to have been given this incredibly generous gift."