How to Find Megalodon Shark Teeth in Florida
Venice, Florida has a peculiar reputation for fossil hunters, as the waters offshore are full of fossilized shark teeth. Giant Megalodon fossils are a special find among all the shark teeth. These prehistoric sharks are thought to have been 50 feet long, and some were even bigger, so their teeth are enormous. A Megalodon tooth makes for a special souvenir, and hunting for them is open to divers and snorkelers alike.
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Things You'll Need
- Scuba diving kit:
- Air cylinder
- Dive mask
- Regulator
- Buoyancy Control Device
- Weight belt
- Fins
- Snorkeling kit:
- Snorkel
- Weight Belt
- Snorkel vest or flotation device (one per group)
- Dive knife or spatula (optional)
Instructions
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Rent a weight belt from a scuba diving shop if you do not already have one. Snorkelers will need some weight to make skin diving to the bottom easier, while scuba divers will want even more weight than usual so they can rest on the bottom.
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Drive to Venice Beach and park in the public lot located at the end of West Venice Avenue in Venice, Florida. Having your own car or a rental car will be absolutely necessary if you need to haul heavy scuba equipment to the beach.
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Put on your gear, perform your safety checks if you are a scuba diver, and swim about a quarter mile from shore. Summer visibility is between 10 and 20 feet, so you should be able to see the shallow reef beneath you when you reach it.
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Dive to the sandy bottom around the reef, taking care to stir up as little sand as possible. Scuba divers should simply sink down and gently lie or kneel on the sandy bottom around the reef, while skin diving snorkelers should take great pains to come down and return to the surface without any violent swimming motions. Visibility will be limited enough that you will not want to make it worse by kicking up lots sand from the bottom.
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Search through the sand using slow, even motions. Try to avoid throwing sand up into the water, which reduces visibility. Search with your hands, a dive knife, or even a stainless steel kitchen spatula. If you find a tooth that is six or seven inches long, or even longer, it's a Megalodon tooth.
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Tips & Warnings
Another area known for its fossilized shark teeth is Casperson Beach, on the southern end of Venice Island. Venice Pier is a third area where shark teeth can be found in the sand under water.
Even for a relatively shallow shore site, snorkelers and scuba divers alike need to dive with at least one buddy. If you venture out a quarter mile from shore alone and get into trouble, it is unlikely anyone will even see that you have problems, let alone be able to help you.
Snorkeling for Megalodon tooth fossils involves swimming far from shore and engaging in repeated skin dives. This is tiring activity. Pace yourself conservatively, and always leave plenty of energy for the swim back to the beach. For added safety, someone in the group should have a snorkel vest or flotation device.
Scuba divers unfamiliar with Venice, Florida's shore dive sites should plan for poor visibility and be aware of their lack of local knowledge, as these two conditions are a recipe for getting lost. Plan your dive with the aid of a dive site map, and use an underwater compass to stick to that plan during the dive.
References
- Photo Credit beach image by Horticulture from Fotolia.com
