The shoreline at Venice Beach, on the Gulf coast of Florida, is known as the best place to find shark’s teeth. I have never visited this beach, which is located about halfway along the west coast, but my kids would have loved to collect sharks teeth there.
Just like beachcombing for good seashells, you will find more sharks teeth after a storm comes through. The teeth are fossilized remnants of the large creatures that died some time ago. Eventually the teeth make their way to shore, usually in rough water. As sharks are abundant in the warm Gulf of Mexico, so are their teeth. And we all know that sharks can have many rows of teeth, losing them over a lifetime. This also adds to the large number of teeth deposited on the ocean floor.
Now here is something interesting that I came across. You can also hunt for shark’s teeth in freshwater rivers in Florida! I’m going to give you a link to a page that will tell you why, but briefly it is because all of Florida used to be under the ocean. There are safety factors involved when you do anything in fresh water, one of them being cottonmouth snakes and the other is, of course, alligators. Florida fresh water areas are not inviting – not to me anyway. Florida is full of creepy, and deadly, wildlife, but the bodies of fresh water are the worst! Read more about this challenging way to Hunt for Shark’s Teeth in Rivers (Shark Teeth Store website). The article link is to a site which also sells shark teeth, in case you are interested in buying.
Personally, I would stick to the beach to find my shark’s teeth, but the more adventurous could find some nice specimens in and around rivers. Diving and snorkeling could yield some terrific artifacts. And while you’re looking for teeth, keep your eyes peeled for other fossils. Because of the nature of the beach, with it’s tides and storms, each day contains the possibility of finding something new. Once you have that special tooth, wrap it in wire and hang it around your neck proudly.
(Photo credit: PubicDomainPictures @ Pixabay)