Charleston Fossil Adventures | Folly Beach (2024)

FAQs

Where to look for megalodon teeth in South Carolina? ›

Prime Locations for Shark Teeth Hunting

Shark teeth are predominantly found along the central stretch of Myrtle Beach, from 50th Avenue North down to 10th Avenue South. Additionally, the quieter beaches of Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island are also known for yielding these fossilized treasures.

The beach plays host to the Folly Beach Pier, which stretches more than 1,000 feet into the Atlantic Ocean and is the perfect place for those on the hunt for shark teeth.

The best tools for fossil hunting are a good pair of eyes, as most of the time the fossils are loose among the stones on the beach. Special geological hammers can be used to gently spit open some of the rocks to reveal fossils, but you need to know exactly which kinds of rocks contain fossils.

According to South Carolina regulation, anyone may collect a "reasonable amount" of fossil teeth. Above the low water mark, anyone may collect the fossils. If you want to collect below the low water mark, or scuba dive for fossils, you need to acquire a special hobby license.

Caspersen Beach is the Venice Florida Shark Tooth Beach that's known as the shark tooth capital of the world. It's an absolute must-visit destination when you're visiting the Sarasota and Siesta Key area because the beach is quiet, beautiful and filled with shark's teeth!

There are still tons of incredible teeth to be found for many years to come. There is a possibility that you could find a freshly lost shark tooth, but it is rare.

While the best time to hunt for shark's teeth is after a storm when the waves have exposed new layers of sand, there are enough teeth regularly found here that any time is a good time to find these pieces of nature's treasure.

Around Folly's tidal creeks in the summer, I see 2 to 3 ft Bonnet head sharks almost every outing, swimming along the creek bank, scattering bait as they cruise for a meal. Less often, I see black tip sharks, up to 100 lbs, exploding out of the water though a school of Menhaden.

So, if your object is heavy, it might be a fossil. usually not a fossil unless it has an obvious fossil imprint in it. Fossil shells in limestone are an example. Mostly, however, heavy and lightly colored objects are rocks, like flint.

Collected fossils remain public property and are placed with museums, universities or other public institutions for study and exhibition. You may collect reasonable quantities of common invertebrate fossils such as mollusks and trilobites, but this must be for personal use, and the fossils may not be bartered or sold.

What do fossil rocks look like on the beach? ›

Often you only see a fragment of the surface of the fossil showing, perhaps the side of an ichthyosaur vertebra (section of backbone) or a patch of shiny fish scales in the edge of a piece of shale or limestone. Broken and eroded rocks may show a section through part of the fossil.

Shark Teeth of South Carolina

Charleston, Folly Beach, and Morris Island are prized for their shark teeth hunting potential, but what kind of shark teeth are you likely to find?

This is an incredibly rare, monster Megalodon tooth found several years ago in the Morgan River near Beaufort, South Carolina. It's an astounding 6.70" long (actually 6.698" to be precise), is sharply serrated and great symmetry.

It is unlawful to hunt deer with a firearm within three hundred yards of a residence when less than ten feet above the ground without permission of the owner and occupant. The provisions of this section do not apply to a landowner hunting on his own land or a person taking deer pursuant to a department permit.

The southern U.S. shores are some of the best places to find megalodon teeth, with most of the teeth popping up in North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida.

Fossil locations include the Calvert Cliffs - Salisbury Embaymet, the mine at Aurora - Albemarle Embayment, the rivers and beaches in the Charleston area - Charleston Embayment, and the old phosphate spoil islands along the Savannah river and Tybee Island in Georgia - Southeast Georgia Embayment.

This is an incredibly rare, monster Megalodon tooth found several years ago in the Morgan River near Beaufort, South Carolina. It's an astounding 6.70" long (actually 6.698" to be precise), is sharply serrated and great symmetry.

Some people hunt small streams and creeks hoping to find megalodon teeth, and while this can be significantly more productive than some beaches there are other drawbacks.