Skull of prehistoric sea monster draws record visitors to museum at Kimmeridge
The Etches Collection is displaying the skull of a 150-million-year-old sea monster discovered in Dorset
Last updated 18th Jan 2024
A fossil museum in Dorset has seen a RECORD NUMBER of visitors this month after featuring on David Attenborough’s New Year’s Day documentary.
The Etches Collection in Kimmeridge say they have had more than 7,000 visitors in just the first two weeks of 2024.
It is home to the “most complete” pliosaur skull in the world, a two-metre long fossil dating back 150 million years.
Operation’s Manager, Carla Crook said: “David Attenborough is so famous that it's taking our pliosaur discovery to the world.
“We have had inquiries from people looking to come on holiday from all over the UK, Europe and even Australia so the outreach from a result of the documentary has been amazing.”
Its busiest day ever, on Saturday 6 January, saw a total number of 1,064 visitors walk through the doors.
When we visited the museum, we spoke to someone who travelled all the way from Seven Oaks in Kent.
He said: “We’re thrilled that we've come, and I’m actually surprised by how good it actually is.”
Another person said: “It looks much bigger in person than on the TV and when you see the detail on the fossil, your jaw drops.”
The rest of the pliosaur is still be entombed in the crumbling cliffs of Kimmeridge Bay, and there is hope that the increased footfall could help fund the excavation.
Curator Steve Etches told us: “The documentary has attracted so much interest that we should monetize it and then expand the museum collections.
If this museum was in London, we wouldn't worry about our finances but here in Kimmeridge it's a little bit difficult.”
Carla added: “This has given our museum a lifeline… We rely on visitors coming through the door as we don’t receive any grant funding.
“We will be able to put the money we make from admission fees back into the museum, to build our reserves and hopefully fund more discoveries.”
According to Carla and Steve, the interest has “yet to hit its peak” as the documentary airs in the United States on February 14.