The remains of mammoth marine reptiles that have not roamed the sea for nearly 66 million years will grace the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute for the next four months.

The exhibit, titled ?Savage Ancient Sea Specimens?, is the first time casts of the maritime reptiles have been shown in Bermuda. It includes 42-foot long skeletons, giant jaws and casts of an animal known as a ?living fossil?.

The exhibits came from the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Centre (RMDRC) in Colorado. Exhibits from RMDRC have been shown at and sold to major museums across North America

David Ehlert, Museum Director at RMDRC, said this was the first international show the museum was taking part in.

?The Bermuda Underwater Exploration Centre contacted us,? he said. ?I think they were looking for something different. Something to spice up the experience for visitors.?

He added that RMDRC is best known for its marine reptiles which made it a perfect fit for the exhibit BUEI was looking for.

?There are so many dinosaur shows out there,? he said. ?But this one is different because it concentrates on marine reptiles. There were so many dinosaurs walking around but no one thinks about the ocean.

?There are so many marine reptiles but there is very little mention of them in textbooks. This exhibit is better than any textbook. It will also spark people?s imaginations. To think that these animals were swimming in our oceans is incredible.?

The biggest specimen is the Elasmosaurus. All 42 feet of the marine reptile will hang in the entrance of BUEI. It is known for its tiny head and long neck. This cast is also famous because it sparked the ?1867 Fossil Wars? which saw two leading scientists battle it out to be known as leading authority in the new field of dinosaur palaeontology.

Another famous specimen is the Tylosaurus, the ?T-Rex of the ocean? Mr. Elhert said. BUEI will show the six foot long scull of the animal. The Tylosaurus was an alligator type creature that existed 66 million years ago and was the main marine predator of its time.

Another startling part of the exhibit is the cast of the jaw of a Megalodoa 50-foot shark that roamed the seas 50 million years ago and became extinct just 1.5 million years ago. Its jaw alone stands eight feet tall.

?People should come to this exhibit to check out something brand new to the Island? Mr Elhert said. ?It?s important to know that this is something that was in your ocean millions of years ago.?

He agreed that the exhibit could also remind people about the importance of marine conservation.

?These guys didn?t have a choice when the asteroid hit earth and they went extinct,? he said. ?But we are now in control of the world and we have the opportunity to make sure other marine animals don?t become extinct.

?This exhibit really makes you think about what used to live in the ocean and what could still live there. The Coelocanth is a great example of that. Everyone thought it was extinct but then one was found in the Indian Ocean in 1938 and others have been found since.

?It?s one of the real mysteries of the world. Why did the Coelocanth make it through when others didn?t??

BUEI also has a cast of the Coelocanth for people to see. Another interesting fact about the Coelacanth is that it predates dinosaurs and is believed to have been been on earth for 400 million years.

Mr. Elhert also said the animals are unique because of their lobe-like fins. The fins are supported by bones similar to bones in the arms and legs of animals found on land and unlike fins found in other fish.

The exhibit will open on June 3 and end on October 22. There are 23 exhibits in the show.