The Mystery of Sea Creatures (2/5): A giant Jurassic sea dragon, unearthed | Dean R. Lomax

The discovery of a 10-meter-long ichthyosaur skeleton at the Rutland Water Nature Reserve represents a landmark moment in British paleontology. Unearthed by Joe Davis during routine maintenance, the fossil—a "sea dragon"—dates back 180 million years to the early Jurassic period when the region was submerged under a tropical sea. Excavating the specimen required a meticulous, multi-stage process, including reburying the skeleton to protect it from harsh winter conditions before a full-scale recovery operation. Modern techniques like photogrammetry allowed the team to create high-fidelity three-dimensional models, capturing critical data while the fossil remained in situ. As the most complete large prehistoric marine reptile skeleton ever found in the UK, this find provides unprecedented insight into the Jurassic ecosystem and serves as a vital addition to the history of marine reptile research in Britain.