Florida is known for its fossil-rich areas with lots of places to find sharks teeth! 10 million years ago Florida was submerged underwater in shark rich waters. Over time the water receded and land emerged, leaving billions of fossilized sharks teeth to be found – by me & you!

My beach loving family is always on the hunt for sharks teeth, we put together the 7 best places to find sharks teeth in Florida.

This round-up of how to find sharks teeth in Florida contains affiliate links, where I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

How many teeth do sharks have?

Most sharks have 5 rows of teeth, and can have as many as 3000 teeth at once, like the whale shark. While whale sharks tiny teeth aren’t used for chewing, the great white shark has 300 teeth at a time.

Sharks continually shed their teeth; some Carcharhiniformes (aka ground sharks) shed approximately 35,000 teeth in a lifetime, replacing those that fall out!

There are four basic types of shark teeth: dense flattened, needle-like, pointed lower with triangular upper, and non-functional. The type of tooth that a shark has depends on its diet and feeding habits.

How to find sharks teeth?

Finding sharks teeth is fun and rewarding! Here are some tips on how to find sharks teeth:

• Look for teeth in areas where there’s a lot of shells. Shark teeth are often found in the same layers of sediment as shells.
  
• Shark teeth are typically black or dark brown, so you’ll want to keep an eye out for these colors in the sand and amongst the shells. 
  
• One of the best times is to go shark tooth hunting right after a storm as the rain can wash away new debris and sand and uncover buried sharks teeth.
  
• Equipment: while you only really need your eyes and patience, you might want to invest in a good mesh sifter and bag if your digging in sand and soil. (Our kids love to use the sifter at the beach!)

Florida’s Best Places to Find Sharks Teeth

1. Venice Beach

Known as the “Shark Tooth Capital of the World” because the amount of sharks teeth found in the area. The beach’s unique coastal currents and fossil-rich sediment make it a popular spot for finding shark teeth. The coastal area in which Venice sits contains a fossil layer that expands up to 35 feet deep. That’s a lot of shark teeth!

In April, check out The Venice Shark Tooth Festival filled with food, music, art and of course lots of shark teeth!

2. Caspersen Beach

In South Venice, Caspersen Beach is one of the best beaches for finding shark teeth and also shelling. The beach has a boardwalk, free parking, restrooms, outdoor showers, a kayak/canoe launch, nature trails, and a playground.

Nearby: Check out the Shark Tooth Sifter store for beachcombing equipment, shark-themed gifts, fossils, and rare sharks teeth.

3. Peace River

The Peace River, which flows through central Florida, is another renowned location for fossil hunting. Its riverbeds and banks are filled with shark teeth, including megalodon teeth. Mammoth fossils have also been found here! We found a handful of teeth looking on the riverbank in less than an hour.

The fact that there could be alligators in this water gave us the creeps, next time we’ll go back with a local shark tooth and fossil hunting tour guide!

4. Manasota Key

Manasota Key is a small island just south of Sarasota and Venice. If your shark tooth hunting check out Stump Pass Beach State Park, which offers a 2.2 mile beach trail at the southern tip of Manasota Key! However, sharks teeth can be found on all the beaches on the key. For my son’s 1st birthday we rented a beachfront condo and easily found a dozen sharks teeth and fossilized stingray barbs!

5. Amelia Island

Just north of Jacksonville, Amelia Island has 13 miles of pristine beach and a great place to find sharks teeth in Florida. Sand is occasionally dredged from the nearby shipping channel and is dumped onto the beach at Fort Clinch State Park, resulting in an abundance of prehistoric shark teeth to be found!

6. Mickler’s Landing Beach

Another great place to find sharks teeth in Florida is Located in Ponte Verde, FL. Mickler’s Landing (pronounced “Mike-lers”) is a family friendly beach north of St. Augustine. Keep your eyes peeled for more than sharks teeth, a 1947 shipwreck is off the coast and some people have claimed to find spanish coins and even an old cannon ball!

7. St. Augustine

The oldest city in America is bursting with history and its a great place to find shark teeth. The sand on St. Augustine beaches is a mix of quartz and phosphate, which helps to preserve shark teeth. On a recent vacation, we stayed on Vilano Beach, and easily found 5 sharks teeth digging in the shells!

Where to find megalodon teeth?

Megalodon was one of the largest predatory sharks that ever existed, estimated to have lived between 23 million and 2.6 million years ago. These sharks are believed to have grown up to 60 feet in length, producing teeth that are upwards of 7 inches!

If you’re looking for these rare fossils, here are some places where Megalodon teeth have been found:

• Peace River, Florida
• Venice Beach, Florida
• South Carolina Blackwater Rivers
• Calvert Cliff State Park in Maryland
• Aurora, North Carolina
• Peru and Chile

How much are megalodon teeth worth? If you find one of these treasures, they can sell upwards of $1,000 depending on its size!

What color are sharks teeth?

The colors of shark teeth vary based on how old the tooth is, the species of shark and the environmental conditions.

• White sharks teeth are those of more recent and living sharks.
  
• Gray teeth are usually older or fossilized teeth. The color may appear gray because of mineralization or exposure to various sediments over time.
  
• Black sharks teeth are mostly fossilized however some sharks like blacktip are known to have black teeth.
  
• Brown colored sharks teeth are caused from the tooth absorbing minerals from sediment it was buried in.

Happy sharks tooth hunting! I hope this guide of the best places to find sharks teeth in florida is helpful. Where else have you found sharks teeth in Florida? Comment below and let me know where we should check out next!

More Florida Fun with Kids:

• Kayaking Three Sisters Springs with Manatees
• 22 Best Things to do in Siesta Key, FL
• Theater of the Sea in Key Largo, FL
• Kayaking Riverbend Park in Jupiter, FL with kids
• 20 Best Things to do in St. Augustine