“Operation Poppy” Ichthyosaur Extraction!

by | Dec 27, 2019 | Blog

Geckoella fossil rescue is in the news! The now internationally famous, 197 million-year old ‘Poppy’ ichthyosaur was safely extracted from the lower Jurassic shales of Bridgwater Bay National Nature Reserve by Geckoella’s team, led by Dr Andy King, as reported widely in the press. The extraction was a tricky operation, with a narrow tidal window, but Poppy is now in Somerset Museum, undergoing preservation work in advance of public display and scientific research. New challenges lie ahead for a complex and delicate conservation process in the lab, with no guarantee of success, but, so far, all is looking good, and the delicate fossils are responding well.

Special mentions for the finder, Jon Gopsill, who from the start wanted Poppy to be conserved and looked after for science (and of course his marvellous dogs Poppy and Sam who drew Jon’s attention to the 5 1/2 foot long specimen in the first place). Natural England helped fund and carry out the extraction, the Environment Agency own the land, Somerset Heritage Trust took on the responsibility for the long term conservation, and all worked together to process the necessary permissions and paperwork in record time!

This project illustrates Geckoella’s commitment to responsible fossil collecting and conservation on the Somerset coast. We’re really looking forward to the opening of our workshop in the East Quay development, Watchet, Somerset in spring 2021, so that we can do even more of this and other specialist geological work in the future.

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