Ancient sea creatures bridge gap between past and present at Mote Marine exhibit

SARASOTA, Fla. - Creatures that resemble relatives of the Lockness monster and things you’d only see in movies are on display at the newest exhibit at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota.

Ross Johnston, Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium virtual learning specialist, said they have skeletons and fossils of real sea monsters. He said these creatures lived underwater more than 80 million years ago.

"They actually have two sets of jaws. These mosasaurs do have living ancestors so Komodo dragons and monitor lizards which still have those rooftop jaws," said Johnston. 

The exhibit provides an up-close view of some very unique creatures including a turtle with a flipper span of 15-17 feet.

“You can see that head compared to the world’s largest turtle that ever lived," said Stephannie Kettle with Mote Marine. 

She said the exhibit is interactive and has a site where visitors can touch some fossils or dig up a fossil on a digital interactive computer.

These creatures lived underwater in what is now the American Midwest.

"It's a really cool opportunity to highlight what lived in the ocean a long time ago and bring that to people who might not be familiar with it," said Kettle. 

"You are seeing things that lived right where you are standing millions of years ago," said Johnston. 

Understanding life millions of years ago can help paint a picture of the future. 

"You can’t understand the oceans of tomorrow without looking at the oceans of yesterday, it’s a great perspective in order to formulate where these oceans have been in order to better understand where they are going," explained Johnson. 

Savage Ancient Seas opens to the public on March 29 and runs through May 31 at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium. Click here to learn more.