A behind the scenes documentary about the rescue of the fossilised skull of a Jurassic sea creature nicknamed the Sea Rex, is to be screened in Swanage, Dorset, to help raise funds for the daring excavation of the rest of its body.
The 30 minute documentary, Pliosaurus – The Discovery of a Monster, filmed by staff at The Etches Collection in Kimmeridge will be shown at The Mowlem, along with a talk and a question and answer session with the fossil museum’s founder Steve Etches, on Thursday 16th April 2026.
ETCHES COLLECTION
Film director Ash Hall went to great lengths to record the excavation
Apex predator which ate everything
Budding director Ash Hall, who works for the museum’s digital media marketing department, had full access to the original dig in 2022 as the BBC filmed Attenborough and the Sea Monster, which sent shock waves around the world when it was screened on New Year’s Day 2024.
The snout of a previously unknown pliosaur from 150 million years ago, essentially the Tyrannosaurus Rex of the seas, had been found on the shoreline and the rest of the skull was extracted from the cliff 12 metres above the beach near Kimmeridge.
The discovery drew worldwide attention as the most complete and best preserved skull of an apex predator which could stalk its prey in the darkest waters just by using sensors on its skin, and ate everything that it came across.
Now the Etches Collection is trying to raise £500,000 to mount an operation which would see the rest of Sea Rex’s skeleton dug out from the cliff – and all profits from the screening of the film will be added to the appeal.
The total has just smashed through the £100,000 mark thanks to a generous donation from a local charitable foundation which has pledged to give another £50,000 when the appeal is nearing its target.
BBC
An artist’s reconstruction of how the pliosaur looked to its prey off the Jurassic coast of Dorset
Fundraising has exceeded £100,000
Carla Crook, operations manager at The Etches Collection, said:
“We have now reached £107,000, though we still have a long way to go as we need £500,000 to start the dig. We are always looking for pledges, grants and donations, but we are hopeful the sales from the event at The Mowlem will also contribute towards our goal.
“The documentary Pliosaurus – The Discovery of a Monster has footage of the dig taken by Ash Hall at the same time that the BBC was filming, and interviews with all of the key people involved with the dig.
“That includes our founder Steve Etches, Phillip Jacobs, who discovered the snout which started this whole adventure, and palaeobiologist Judyth Sassoon, our resident in-house scientist.
“It is presented by one of our palaeontologist friends, Emma Cieslak-Jones, taking viewers through our amazing personal story behind the discovery of the pliosaur skull, the dig and the science behind it as well.
“It was screened for the first time in 2025 at the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival and was so popular that it completely sold out. Steve was there to provide a question and answer session after the film, which is what he will be doing at The Mowlem as well.”
ETCHES COLLECTION
Philip Jacobs recounts how he found the snout of the Sea Rex on a Kimmeridge beach
“It’s an important local story”
Carla added:
“We are also taking our replica pliosaur skull, commissioned for an exhibition called Hidden in Stone which was hosted by the University of Southampton, a lifesize replica sculpture of our skull made in fibreglass by Karen Fawcett.
“We have that now and we use it for various outreach events so that people can have their picture taken with it, and Steve Etches will also be signing books at the event.
“It will be really exciting – the whole purpose of the evening is for everyone in Swanage and Purbeck to have a better understanding of the scientific importance of the pliosaur skull and what it means for the local area as well.
“Though it is obviously an international story, it is also an important local story as well and there may be people in Purbeck who have not even heard about it.
“We hope it will also generate new interest in the museum and help us raise funds to rescue the rest of the pliosaur body from the cliffs.”
ETCHES COLLECTION
Climbing expert Tim Fogg was filmed during the excavation of the pliosaur’s skull
“A truly inspiring tale”
The film was nominated in the best documentary category of the Apex Film Awards in 2024 and was given a four out of five star rating.
A judge for the Apex Film Awards said:
“When it comes to our documentary category, the bar is typically very high with a mix of various topics, and we were pleasantly surprised to discover a film revolving around the discovery of a pliosaurus skull from the Jurassic period 10 meters up a cliff.
“The film takes its time to capture the whole journey from discovery, extraction and rebuilding which took an incredible amount of patience and planning.
“This is a truly inspiring tale that will amaze viewers with the level of commitment from the team involved.”
EMMA CIESLAK-JONES
Narrator Emma Cieslak-Jones was praised by film judges for her natural approach to telling the story
“Showcasing immense talent”
The judge added:
“Filmmaker Ash Hall handled the film by himself from start to finish which is a feat in itself as there was a lot of material to cover and keep the viewer engaged.
“The location of the fossil made filming a particularly challenging exercise, but you wouldn’t notice, it all flows together well with some excellent cinematography.
“Presenter and geologist Emma Cieslak-Jones really stood out and was the perfect choice to narrate the film with a natural and simple approach to telling the story, making it easy to understand for the viewer.
“Overall, it is a solid documentary that sheds light on a totally unique and captivating story, showcasing the immense talent and problem solving from a group of dedicated individuals.”
ETCHES COLLECTION
Palaeobiologist Judyth Sassoon, the Etches Collection’s resident scientist, with Sir David Attenborough
ETCHES COLLECTION
BBC film crews prepare to film climbers going over the Kimmeridge cliff edge to start excavations
ETCHES COLLECTION
Steve Etches toiled for months in his Kimmeridge workshop to restore the skull of the Sea Rex
BBC
David Attenborough and Steve Etches examine the pliosaur skull at The Etches Collection
Further informationWatch film narrator Emma with the Sea Rex