The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Finding Fossilized Shark Teeth on Beaches in Florida

 

Venice Beach: The best spots to find shark teeth are at any beach access points south of the Venice Jetty, Casey Key, and Manasota Key. The Venice Fishing Pier at Brohard Park is a great place to start. The best time to hunt is early in the morning at low tide, between 6-9 am. Some people use a "Venice Snow Shovel" to help sift through the sand​¹​​²​​³​. 

Caspersen Beach: This beach is known as the "shark's tooth capital of the world". It has four miles of beachfront where shark teeth may be found, especially at low tide. Look for a dark band of sand near the water's edge, which often contains fossilized shark teeth​⁴​​⁵​​⁶​.

Casey Key: This barrier island in Sarasota county is full of white-sand beaches where shark teeth can be found. Nokomis Beach and Jetty Park are two public beach locations where you can hunt for shark teeth. Most commonly found are teeth from tiger sharks, lemon sharks, and bull sharks, but occasionally you might find teeth from very rare sharks​¹​.

Mickler’s Landing Beach: Located on the east coast of Florida, this is an excellent place for searching for shark teeth. 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. In the same area, Ponte Verda Beach is also a great spot​²​.

Juno Beach: 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. 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​³​.

Peace River: Start your search during periods of low water and sift around exposed sandbars. Often, they’ll be right on top​⁴​.

Fort Clinch State Park: Located on the northern side of Amelia Island, this state park is a hotspot for shark tooth hunting. Walk along the tide line and keep your eye peeled for those distinctive black triangles​⁵​.

St. Augustine Beach: This beach has plenty of shells and, hidden amongst them, shark teeth. St. Augustine is one of Florida’s best places to find shark teeth. St. Augustine’s Shark Teeth Hunting Tours start at Vilano Beach before moving along the shore to the mouth of the St. Augustine Inlet. They offer expert advice on finding and identifying fossilized shark teeth and other ancient sea life​⁶​.

Boca Raton: A bit of a hidden gem, the two-mile stretch of beach offers many treasures, including shark teeth. Most shark teeth are found along the shoreline so you won’t need any diving equipment to perform your search​⁷​.

Singer Island: Thanks to dredging on Palm Beach Island, new shark teeth have been emerging on Singer Island. This is a particularly good place to search for the cream-hued shark teeth of modern species and the fossilized teeth of extinct species​⁸​.

Vilano Beach: One of the best places in St Augustine, Florida, to hunt for shark teeth. It’s also a great location for discovering sea glass and other fossils​⁹​.

 

Credit: @Florida-TV

 

 

 

In general, fossils, shells, and shark teeth all tend to collect in the same areas along the beach. They are commonly found along the tide line or a few feet into the sea. Look out for small piles of shells and small rocks as that’s where you’re most likely to find what you’re really looking for. Megalodon teeth are more commonly found in deeper water, further out to sea so a hunt for these treasures may require some proper dive equipment and even a guide​¹⁰​​¹¹​.

 

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Please note: This guide does not include all possible locations for shark tooth hunting in Florida. Always do your own research for the most accurate and up-to-date information.