Years ago, I started following an account on instagram of a guy who would go find shark teeth and other fossils in the river beds of South Carolina. I was fascinated by all his finds and I started dreaming about someday having my own experience. When we found out we were moving to South Carolina, one of the first things I started looking into was where exactly to find shark teeth! There are many places that pop up when you start looking into where to find fossils in South Carolina. We had been to a couple beaches and did our own hunting around but it wasn’t until we actually did a charter that we learned exactly what to look for and where. This post is going to address some of the frequently asked questions, if you will, that I see when it comes to finding shark teeth in South Carolina, and maybe even inspire you in your next hobby, because we certainly have found a new obsession! And then we’ll get into the charter that we took! Why?First up, why? Why are there so many shark teeth in South Carolina?? Well, the easiest way to answer this question is to imagine what South Carolina would’ve looked like millions of years ago. Before the ice age, the coast of South Carolina was actually about 120 miles inland from where it is now, which means the Lowcountry was considered the deep sea. I’m no paleontologist, but in lamen’s terms, the coast of South Carolina went through many time periods for millions of years with different shark species coming into and out of existence just off it’s shores. There is even evidence of prehistoric “shark nurseries” in the area which have similarities to shark nurseries you can find off the coast today. So to make the answer even simpler, sharks and other marine life have been here for tens of millions of years. Each shark - and it’s ancestor - has tens of thousands of teeth. Over time, these teeth become fossils that are constantly (twice a day with the tide) being washed up/uncovered on the coast, leaving treasures from the past for us to collect! What?Secondly, what? What exactly are we looking for when we’re looking for shark teeth and what kind of fossils are there to be found in South Carolina? A really fun website to peruse is https://www.fossilguy.com/sites/coastal-south-carolina/south-carolina-fossils.htm He talks about the identification of fossils in South Carolina and has helped us identify what we’ve found on the coast. What kind of fossils can you find in South Carolina? Shark teeth! Sharks, sharks, and more sharks have lived here for millions of years. We’ve found teeth of all sizes, from tiny little sand and hammerhead sharks, to the larger Angustidens shark which lived 22-33 million years ago. But there are also plenty of bull shark, great white, and even the occasional prized Megalodon teeth can be found in South Carolina. We’ve also found lots of shark vertebrae and even the vertebrae of a small whale, or large dolphin! People have also found mammoth fossils and other bones so definitely be on the lookout for other things…but the easiest to distinguish is the teeth. While on the beach, training your eye to look for shiny, black, triangular shaped objects is really what will get you going. Fossilized shark teeth are usually black but you may find them in lighter colors as well. It’s actually extremely rare to find a “fresh” shark tooth but the color doesn’t necessarily tell us it’s age. The color depends on the type of minerals the fossil absorbed while buried in the ocean floor. Pro tip: while looking for teeth on the beach, don’t wear sunglasses! It will make the darker colors harder to see. How?We got a lot of questions as to how we found everything that we found and I’m going to let you in on a secret: all of this was from one shark teeth hunting trip!! We actually took a charter with Coastal Expeditions and booked their beach drop to Morris Island. With this “tour”, we boarded a boat in Shem Creek, near Charleston, and took a short and scenic trip to the uninhabited barrier island. They have a naturalist on board as well as a very knowledgeable captain who both shared a lot of information about the local wildlife and history. We were dropped off on the island for a few hours - we had packed a lunch and were mentally prepared for no bathrooms - and we all had a blast! I honestly wondered how my kids would fare out on the island for a few hours but we were entertained the entire time by hunting for teeth, shells, watching the dolphins hunting in low tide and coming across other wildlife. Honestly, even my 3 year old found some shark teeth and we all had such an amazing time! On our way back from the island, we drove past Fort Sumter and had a great little lesson on the history of the first battle of the civil war at the actual site, which was pretty cool because you do have to board a ferry to get a tour out there normally. Also, on the way back, the naturalist onboard went around and identified some of our fossils, which was very cool to learn about. I kind of wanted to go around with her to see what everyone else had found, too! We are just getting started with our adventures here in South Carolina, but I can honestly say that this excursion was one of the coolest things we’ve done! It was so cool to see each of us have such a fun experience together and thoroughly enjoy it at all our respective ages. Just a few tips for going on this trip: First, we all wore swim suits and packed lots of sunscreen and hats. We brought towels and all the beach gear for all of that (even though we didn’t end up swimming because we were having so much fun finding little treasures! We also packed all the snack and food, because we knew it was going to be awhile and it was recommended for us to do so by the employees. Second, once we got to the island, we also kind of booked it to the other side of the jetty. The naturalist had mentioned there was usually more success there, and while it was a little bit of a walk, we did *not* regret it at all! It was kind of funny because, as soon as we got to the other side of the jetty, I put all our stuff down and my three year old immediately asked me to carry him. I told him, “I can’t. I’m looking for shark teeth…” and I bent down, and picked one up and said “…just like this one!” Haha it was crazy. Once we all realized what we were looking for…again - black, shiny, and triangular… we all were finding things the whole few hours. My 10 year old was the best at finding the tiny guys and eventually, I went down to wade in the water with my 7 year old and that’s where we found the larger one. Jon was very successful with finding all the vertebrae, most of which were actually found on our walk to the other side of the jetty at the beginning of our trip! So what do you think? Are you going to start a new hobby with us? Did you know any of this info or learn something new? Are you an expert shark tooth hunter and have more to add? Please let us know! If you have any questions about our experience, we’re always happy to answer! Make sure to pin so you can come back to this post! Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram or TikTok for some of our day-to-day adventures and until next time, get out and explore where you live!
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AuthorWe're just a military family enjoying where we live, one PCS at a time. Follow us as we explore our current home, South Carolina, and beyond. The world is our backyard. Archives
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