Florida is a popular place to visit for many reasons. It has some of the best year-round weather in the United States and lots of natural beauty to explore.
Besides its natural beauty, Florida boasts a lot to do, with one underrated activity being searching for shark’s teeth.
Many people don’t think of searching for fossilized teeth as a pastime, but in Florida, it is. Many years ago, Florida was submerged underwater, and sharks were a popular creature in the area.
As Florida slowly emerged from the water, the surrounding sand and land were covered in shark teeth.
This is because sharks shed thousands of teeth throughout their lifetime, so there is a lot to go around and you can find them in the coastal area of certain Florida beach towns.
Searching for shark teeth is a fun activity for adults and children alike. It’s one of many interesting activities that makes Florida an exciting place to visit and spend your vacation.
You are bound to have a great time.
Best Time of Year to Find Shark Teeth in Florida
After a large storm, you have a high chance of finding shark teeth.
This is because the storms and waves that follow bring in untouched sand to the shoreline. This transition of sand provides an opportunity to find new items.
Be sure to look often because you never know what will pop up on shore. The earlier you go out in the morning, the better chance you have of finding treasures before other people do. It also helps if you use a shark tooth sifter.
Why are Shark Teeth Found in Florida?
Ten million years ago, Florida was submerged underwater, and swimming above what is now considered Florida were many sharks.
Throughout time, the water slowly receded, and the land of Florida made its way above ground. The prehistoric sharks that called these waters home died, and their skeletons disintegrated, but their fossilized teeth did not.
Today, shark teeth can be found all over Florida, especially in Sarasota county.
Here they are most commonly found along the sandy shoreline, creating somewhat of a shark frenzy for people searching for prehistoric shark teeth.
This area sits on a fossil layer that is 18-35 feet deep, and when there are storms or waves, fossils slowly make their way into the shallow waters and then eventually onto the shore.
From there, people like you and me marvel at finding them! How are there so many shark teeth in the world to find, you might ask? Sharks produce more than 30,000 teeth in their lifetime, and there are billions of sharks over thousands and thousands of years.
That number feels pretty close to infinite, so don’t feel bad about taking any shark teeth home. Be proud of the teeth you find and take them with you as a souvenir.
How to Find Shark Teeth in Florida
There are various methods you can use to find shark teeth. You can bring a sifter, shovel, or other tools to help pick up items from the sand. Some people stroll the shore looking down in the sand for treasures.
Others wade into the water a few feet out and scoop up sand with their hand, hoping for an exciting find.
However, you choose to scoop up sand is up to you. If you choose to use a sifter or shovel rather than just searching with your eyes, you will have the fun job of looking through your sifted treasures to see if you scored any shark teeth.
Most shark teeth are normally under an inch large, so they’re small and you will need to look hard to find them sometimes. There are larger teeth, but those often require extra good luck or diving equipment.
Once you have found your shark teeth, it can be fun to get to know what kind of shark they came from.
All teeth come in different shapes, colors, and sizes, and there are local books and guides that will assist you in identifying the various shark species.
What to Do With Shark Teeth?
After finding your prized possessions, consider collecting your shark teeth, turning the teeth into jewelry like necklaces and bracelets, or making wall art or other decors out of the teeth.
It’s a great way to display your findings and share them with others.
There are all kinds of interesting things you can do with shark teeth.
Best Places to Find Sharks Teeth in Florida
Now the part you’ve been waiting for: keep reading for this handy guide on the best places to find shark teeth in Florida!
1. Venice Beach, Florida
Venice Beach is often considered the Shark Tooth Capital of the World, and it’s arguably the best place to find shark teeth in Florida. The Venice Fishing Pier is a great place to start your journey.
From here and the whole Venice area, you can rent or purchase a Florida Snow Shovel, which has a screen basket with a handle to help you dig for fossilized shark teeth.
If you’re interested in the shark teeth spotting sport, there are local Venice boats that will take you out a few miles offshore in search of shark teeth and other finds.
Finally, if you enjoy scuba diving, there are various shops in Venice that specialize in diving and searching for fossils.
You are even able to rent all the dive equipment there, so you don’t have to bring your own.
2. Caspersen Beach, Florida
This is another mecca for shark tooth hunting. This secluded beach has many wide open spaces for searching and combing through the sand for treasures.
Because this beach is much less trafficked than other beaches in the area, you have a good chance of having most of the beach to yourself.
This way, you can look for shark teeth in peace, and there is a very good chance of finding some.
3. Casey Key, Florida
Casey Key is a barrier island in Sarasota county that is full of white-sand beaches.
Nokomis Beach and Jetty Park are two public beach locations where you can hunt for shark teeth.
The crystal-clear waters make finding your treasures even easier and more enjoyable.
The early parts of the beach near the entrance can be crowded, but if you walk a bit, you’ll find relaxation and seclusion in your search.
You can find teeth of many different sharks at Casey Key, but the most common is from tiger sharks, lemon sharks, and bull sharks.
Sometimes, however, you can find teeth from very rare sharks! That’s what makes the hunt so fun.
4. Amelia Island, Florida
While the west side of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico is much more well known for its shark tooth finds, the east coast does have its own marvelous treasures.
Amelia Island is a barrier island with infamous opportunities and miles of sandy beaches.
On the southern tip of the island at Fort Clinch State Park, there is an abundance of shark teeth.
This is due to the shipping channel nearby that stirs up the underwater world and allows shark teeth to make their way to shore.
The normally untouched sand makes its way to the beach and is then sifted through by eager people hoping to find something that is thousands of years old.
After searching for shark teeth all day, there are tons of historical monuments on this island worth exploring. If you’re a civil war enthusiast, you will love the history of this area.
5. Siesta Key, Florida
You have a high chance of finding at least one shark tooth while searching the shores here, it is the ideal place on the gulf coast to search.
The interesting thing about finding shark teeth in Siesta Key is that you might not only find aged fossilized shark teeth, but you may also find teeth of sharks that are still alive today.
This is because sharks produce thousands of teeth each year.
Another great thing about Siesta Key is it’s a very safe beach that rarely, if ever, has shark spottings.
Therefore, it’s very safe to go swimming and go out in the water looking for shark teeth making it the perfect place.
Siesta key is a great small beach town in Florida that is worth checking out.
6. Manasota Key, Florida
Located just south of Caspersen Beach, Manasota Beach is quieter than most beaches in the area.
This is another top-notch location for shark tooth searching.
This is a great place to enjoy the surrounding natural beauty as well as the beauty found in the sand.
Stump Pass Beach State Park is a can’t-miss post for its beauty, charm, and opportunity to spot these fossils.
This is the greatest place to find some of the bigger shark teeth out there, including teeth from the Megalodon.
This extinct species had shark teeth anywhere from 4 to 7 inches! You most likely won’t find teeth this large, but if you do, consider yourself very lucky.
However, if you choose to dive, it is possible to find teeth this large.
7. Mickler’s Landing Beach, Florida
Mickler’s Landing Beach is an excellent place on the east coast of Florida for searching for shark teeth.
Here you will find plenty of shark teeth, if you are lucky you might even find a great white shark tooth or maybe even megalodon teeth.
In the same area, Ponte Verda Beach is a great spot, too.
Generally, this entire area brings lots of shark teeth to the surface for you to uncover at any of the nearby beaches.
Get up early and watch the sunrise on the beach while you begin your search.
The earlier you start, the better chance you have of finding shark teeth before other people get to them first.
Also, be sure to go out at low tide so that more of the shore is exposed if you want a better chance of finding shark teeth.
At Mickler’s Landing Beach and Ponte Verda Beach, you can find dozens of shark teeth in a single visit if you look hard enough and plan to stay for a while.
8. Juno Beach Park, Florida
At Juno Beach, you can pretty much guarantee you’ll find at least one shark tooth per hour of searching, and after a big storm, you will most likely find more per hour.
Fossilized teeth or prehistoric teeth can be millions of years old.
Dark black teeth indicate the tooth is very old, whereas white teeth are much fresher. Some of the teeth you find may even be from extinct sharks, which makes it even more interesting.
Florida is a great place to visit throughout the year. Whether you’re a local on the hunt for shark teeth or a Florida visitor who is hoping to take one of these fossils home, there is joy to be found in the search process.
Florida is a great state to visit, with so much to offer year-round. It would make for a great vacation.
If you are visiting with family, searching for shark teeth is a great activity to add to your list.
It’s a free, exhilarating, and fun activity to pass the time. Once you’ve found some teeth on your own, you can take them home and create fun projects using these ancient finds.
Be sure to add shark teeth searching to your Florida bucket lists for the future. Shark tooth hunting is a fun hobby for people of all ages to enjoy.
That’s it. Thanks for reading and we hope you enjoyed this article on the best places to find shark teeth in Florida.
Are you an avid fossil shark teeth hunter and know of another good place to search for sharks’ teeth?
Say so in the comments below.
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