Plesiosaur

Hello from the ancient ocean. My name is Plesiosaur, and I am a swimming reptile who lived a very, very long time ago. I wasn't a dinosaur, but I shared the world with them. While they walked on the land, I swam in the big, blue seas. My body was perfect for the water. I had a super-long neck and a small head filled with sharp teeth. My body was round, and instead of feet, I had four big flippers that worked like paddles. One of the most special things about me was how I was born. I didn't hatch from an egg on the land. My mother gave birth to me live, right in the warm, sparkling water of the Jurassic seas.

My whole life was one big ocean exploration. I loved using my four flippers to glide through the water. I would move them in a special way that made it feel like I was flying underwater. My long neck was my secret weapon for finding food. I loved to eat tasty fish and squishy sea creatures called belemnites. I could use my neck to sneak up on them without them even seeing my big body. Even though I lived my whole life in the water, I couldn't breathe underwater. I was an air-breather. Every so often, I had to swim to the surface and pop my head above the waves to take a big gulp of air, just like dolphins do today.

So, if I lived millions of years ago, how do you know about me? Well, after I was gone, my bones were buried under layers of mud at the bottom of the sea. Over a very long time, they hardened and turned into fossils. Much, much later, a famous fossil hunter named Mary Anning was exploring the cliffs by the sea. In the year 1823, she made an amazing discovery. She found my very first complete skeleton. Her discovery was so important because it helped scientists and everyone else understand that incredible creatures like me once ruled the ancient oceans.

My kind doesn't swim in the oceans anymore. I lived in the Mesozoic Era. But my story isn't over. My friends and I left our fossil bones behind as clues for you to find. Thanks to our fossils, scientists can study us and learn all about the amazing world that existed long ago. I am happy that my bones can help teach people about Earth's history and inspire everyone to keep exploring and discovering the secrets of our wonderful planet.