Where To Find Shark Teeth in Florida

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Shark Teeth - Fossils With a Million Stories

When you think of an old buried treasure, the first thing that comes to mind might be a wooden chest filled with bright jewels and gold coins; however, we have a different idea in mind - we’re thinking shark teeth! Several beaches in northeast Florida, like Fernandina Beach, Nocatee, Ponte Vedra Beach, and Jacksonville, are known to be hotspots for shark teeth hunters.

Among these places, Amelia Island stands out as a popular shark teeth destination, where you can even go on a shark tooth adventure along the beach! Are you ready for a thrill? Visit these northeast Florida beaches and find yourself a hidden treasure.

Amelia Island's Shark Tooth Paradise

Amelia Island is a dream for shark tooth collectors because of the island’s location. Many of the teeth that sharks lose along their lives become stuck in the sediment of rivers and creeks along the coast. Fresh sand is pumped onto the beaches of Fort Clinch from deep in the Amelia River as the channel clears out.

Image courtesy of Matt Benson via Unsplash

Hunting for shark teeth is more simple than you think, but you do have to be very observant. It's always best to hunt near the edge of the water at low tide along the beach, where the shells and pebbles mix together. You could get lucky and discover some teeth have been mixed with them. 

A good time to go shark teeth hunting can also be after a storm since fossils in the water can get washed up on the beach. Just make sure the conditions are safe!

Why Shark Teeth Are So Telling

As a first-time shark tooth hunter, you might wonder what makes these teeth so special. Besides the excitement of spotting a sharp black tooth in the sand, shark teeth are filled with history and untold stories that go beyond what we can see on the water's surface. Scientists can look at the fossils and compare them to modern teeth to discover what sharks were feeding on millions of years ago and understand how they might have interacted with their ecosystem.

Our oceans have thousands of undiscovered species that are yet to be studied. Shark teeth can play a role in helping researchers learn more about the ocean’s current and past species. 

For example, we know that the extinct giant mako shark is the ancestor of today’s great white shark. The fossil record shows a species with teeth that are wide and flat, like mako shark teeth, but also a bit serrated, like the teeth of great white sharks.

Image courtesy of Clint Patterson via Unsplash

Amelia Island - The Land of Rebels, Ghosts, and Pirates

Besides its abundance of shark teeth, Amelia Island has a long and unique history filled with rebels, pirates that may have left a couple of treasures behind, and ghost stories from the ancient explorers that first inhabited the area. If you’re in the mood to go looking for a different type of treasure, follow this guide that goes over the rules and hidden spots of treasure hunting in northeast Florida. You might just find a couple of shark teeth along the way! 

Feeling Hungry?

After scouring the beaches for buried shark teeth fossils, you're sure to work up an appetite. Head to Timoti’s Seafood Shak to enjoy the deliciously fresh seafood we have to offer!