There' s nothing quite like the excitement of finding shark teeth on the beach! If you and your family want to seek out some shark teeth on your next beach trip, then you will need to know where to look for the best chance of going home with your reward. While it can be hit or miss whenever you go to a random beach to look for shark teeth, these are some of the top places to visit when on the hunt:
Folly Beach, South Carolina
One of my favorite places to go when on the hunt for shark teeth is Folly Beach, and I’m rarely disappointed. Not only is this area often loaded with a lot of teeth for you to choose from, but they tend to be larger than what you will typically find in other areas.
It’s possible to find huge tiger shark and sand shark teeth, and they’re often in great condition. While, sometimes, I will go and find very few teeth, which can be disappointing, the ones that I do find are of such a high quality that it more than makes up for the days when I find low numbers.
Venice Beach, Florida
This beach is often referred to as being one of the best beaches in the world for finding shark teeth, and I have to agree. The beaches in and around Venice are all loaded with fossilized shark teeth, and they are generally fairly easy to find either washed up on the beach itself or in the shallower water.
One of my favorite places to find shark teeth in this area is to go to the water’s edge in the shallow trench created when the waves hit the shore. This area creates a natural basin that captures a variety of shells and shark teeth. This is a great way to get a high yield of teeth in a short period of time, but you do have to have the patience to sift through what you pull out of the water .
Most of the shark teeth in this area are between 1/8” and 3/4”, although if you have snorkeling or diving equipment and go further into the water you are likely to find larger teeth.
Calvert Cliffs State Park, Maryland
If you’re lucky enough to live near or are able to travel to this beach, then you will definitely want to take the opportunity to explore this area. I love that when you go to this beach you can easily find shells and plenty of fossils, including fossilized shark teeth.
Make sure to bring along a container or tote , as this beach is absolutely loaded with shark teeth. The only drawback to exploring this area is that the beach is a little out of the way, so you have to be prepared for the drive. However, I think it’s worth it and it will usually yield great results.
Pawleys Island, South Carolina
This is another great beach in South Carolina that is known for finding shark teeth. If you want to look here, then I recommend that you start out closer to the inlet so that you will have a better chance of finding teeth and they should be of a higher quality.
I think that this is a great beach for kids and you can usually find a variety from bull sharks and sand sharks. Skip the south side of the island, as there aren’t a lot of shark teeth here, so you will likely be frustrated and disappointed by your search results.
Edisto Beach, South Carolina
Another great South Carolina beach for hunting shark teeth is Edisto. Even though you likely won’t find any that are particularly large, there are often vast quantities of teeth on this beach just waiting to be found .
Check between rock piles and close to shell beds if you want to have the best chance of finding a lot of teeth in a hurry, as I find that they tend to congregate here. While the teeth are small, this is a great place to take kids, as they will be thrilled to find so many teeth in a relatively short period of time.
Shipwreck Beach Lanai, Hawaii
While there are tons of beaches in Hawaii and lots of great locations for finding shark teeth, I especially love visiting this beach as there are a lot of fossils. One of the best things about this beach is that it isn’t a very well-known spot, so you won’t generally have a lot of competition.
Be prepared to drive to the beach, as it does take a little while to get here. You have to access it on foot or via a small vehicle, but the trip and extra effort is definitely worth the potential rewards.
Point No Point Beach, Washington
While a lot of people visit this beach so that they can check out the lighthouse, I love stopping by so that I can explore the area ! This is a great place to look for fossils such as shark teeth and old shells, and some people have even uncovered old coins.
You don’t have to wait until the tide brings the shells up on the beach. I love going down into the water and looking for them there. The water is generally fairly clear, which makes spotting the shark teeth relatively easy.
Cumberland Island, Georgia
This is a very isolated beach, great for finding shark teeth as there will have likely been few individuals who have ventured out to this area . You do have to take a ferry to get to the beach, which will require a little extra planning and effort , but well worth it and only adds to the adventure.
There are lots of fossilized shark teeth on this beach, which will make the potential of finding a variety of teeth on your trip easier. While there, you will want to look for any other old relics that may be brought up onto the shore for you to find .
Tips and Suggestions for Finding Shark Teeth
Shark teeth have always been highly sought-after beach finds. The following are a few tips and suggestions for the best places and ways to find shark teeth:
- Along the tideline of a beach, keep an eye out for triangular shapes.
- While newer teeth are white, more typically you will find black teeth, which have fossilized over time.
- You can use your hands to sift through the sand, however some shark teeth will have sharp edges. A cheap and easy option is to bring along a kitchen sifter or kitty litter scoop.
- Some of the best times to find shark teeth are after a storm or if there has been some dredging in the area that has disturbed the oceans floor.
- Low tide is usually the best time of day.
- Sandbars or areas where the water is shifting the sand are ideal locations.
- Less populated beaches and multiple trips to the same areas are more likely to result in larger teeth.
- Along the beach you will see lines of sediment, which is full of driftwood, shells and other debris. This is also a good location to look for shark teeth. You will likely see different, parallel sediment lines, which represent low, mid and high tide. Explore all lines for shark teeth.
- At the water’s edge where the waves recede is also an ideal location to find larger shark teeth, as they get caught, along with shells in the trench created by the waves.
- A good time to go is early morning before others have had a chance to search the beach.
Final Thoughts
All of these beaches have the added benefit of being gorgeous and a great place to relax when on vacation. Although I love looking for shark teeth at any beach my family visits, I have had the best luck at these locations. Try checking them out for yourself and see if you can find shark teeth, too!
Let us know in the comments sections how your search goes and if you have any other great locations to search for shark teeth.
Megan Jones leads the editorial staff of Seaside Planet. They are a multidisciplinary team of outdoor adventurers, water sports lovers, and passionate beach goers. You can learn more about Meg and the rest of the editorial team here.