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By Philip Jacobs

Philip Jacobs on the beach with the pliosaur snout. Image by Philip Jacobs

I have been collecting the fossils of marine reptiles from the Kimmeridge clay for almost forty years. On the 5th April 2022, I was off on another adventure with my partner Helen, going along beneath the cliffs East from Kimmeridge Bay. I was quite pleased with my day: I found some pliosaur, plesiosaur and ichthyosaur vertebrae and settled down in one of my favourite spots to have a picnic in the spring sunshine.

Helen turned back to make a driftwood fire, I continued onwards. Rounding a small headland I saw something at the top of the beach, it looked like a large log. As I approached it I said to myself: "My God it's solid bone" and then "Oh my God it's got interlocking teeth". I realised that I had just come face to face with the snout of a massive pliosaur that must have just recently fallen out of the cliff.

I could not believe what I had just found. It was one of those moments in life where you are overcome with wonder at the sheer delight of it all. I knew it was a pliosaur as I had collected quite a lot of pliosaur material over the years, including a number of jaw and skull sections. Also there were no other creatures of that size in the Jurassic seas at that time.

I knelt down to examine it, everything was still glistening with sea water from the recently receding tide. I turned it over and over examining all the details. I tried to lift it but it was so heavy. I did manage to get it into my large British Army rucksack, but then I found that I could not stand up. I thought of dragging it, but it was nearly three miles back to Kimmeridge all over slippery boulders. I had to do some quick thinking: "It’s way too important for me to keep just to gaze at in my studio. It must go to Steve Etches' museum and be for the nation".

Having decided that, I rolled it up the beach as I couldn't carry it. I then dug a deep hole in the shingle, pushed it in and marked the spot with two sticks. At that depth it would be safe for a few days.

I then photographed the entire cliff in sections with my camera. I always do this to enlarge the pictures later on my laptop to try to identify the site of the rest of it. Later back at my studio I was able to identify the probable site.

I set off back along the beach in a sort of daze. I eventually reached Helen and the fire, smelling the wood smoke. She said: "You've found something haven't you? I said: "Yes I've just found something amazing", my ear to ear smile gave it all away. We returned along the beach as dusk fell and the flickering embers of the fire died out.

As usual we called in on Steve Etches for tea and digestives. "I've just found something extraordinary", I said. I showed him the photos. His eyes lit up when he realised I was gifting it to the nation. "I won’t be able to sleep tonight" he said.

The following day Steve was able to assemble a team together, including Paul de la Salle. They took a small ladder with them, on which they were able to carry back the skull. Later Steve and Paul were able to confirm that my photographs had indeed identified a possible site for the rest of the skeleton. Steve was able to confirm this by having a drone sent up and doing an exploratory excavation.