Venice: Shark Tooth Capital of the World
Posted by Tracy Jones on Friday, July 30th, 2021 at 10:00am.
Venice Beach residents and tourists alike can often be seen diligently scanning the sands of this popular beach or even wading into the water, grabbing a handful or shovelful of the Gulf floor and bringing it back to the dry beach to sift through.
The mystery of what they’re looking for may surprise visitors who aren’t familiar with this historic pastime: shark teeth.
Due to the vast amounts of these tiny fossils found in this scenic shore, Venice, Florida has been named the shark tooth capital of the world.
Read on to find out more about this fascinating Venice Beach phenomenon.
Why Are There So Many Shark Teeth in Venice Beach?
The answer to this question goes back millions of years ago to when Florida was submerged by water teeming with multiple species of sharks.
As the land rose out of the water over many ages, an abundance of the skeletons of these underwater hunters disintegrated in this area, leaving just their teeth to fossilize.
Cut ahead to present day, and as the waters have eroded this fossil layer, millions of these historic fragments have been washed ashore over the years to be found by enthusiastic searchers.
And since a single shark can have up to 3,000 teeth at a time and will lose up to 25,000 across the course of their life, there are vast quantities to be found here.
Tips For Shark Tooth Hunting
Shark tooth hunters require a keen eye due to the vast differences in their size, shape and color. The most common varieties of shark teeth come from the sand, lemon, mako, bull and whitetip species, generally black, brown or grey in color and ranging from an eighth to a quarter of an inch.
However, giant prehistoric megalodon teeth are a common sight on Venice Beach as well, ranging from three to five inches — although they are more common if you go a little further into the water.
It may take some practice to train your eyes to spot the variances in shark teeth, but the results are worth it.
Keen shark tooth hunters will bring a shovel to dig up larger amounts and a sifter to help comb through more efficiently.
Grab a hat, sunscreen, and small container for your treasures and head to the Venice beach to discover these historic tokens of a past world.
Scuba Diving for Shark's Teeth
The best way to find megalodon teeth is scuba diving. They are generally found in approximately 27 foot depth about one and a quarter miles off shore. A historic riverbed, now submerged by Gulf waters, runs parallel to the beach. This riverbed is known to locals as "the boneyard." You know you are in the right spot when you see a lot of black gravel which is fossilized material. Divers search the bottom looking for anything resembling a piece of a megalodon tooth sticking up through the sand. Sometimes you pull up a broken piece of a tooth and sometimes you hit the jackpot. Pulling an intact megalodon shark tooth from the Gulf is like winning the lottery!
The Venice Shark's Tooth Festival
This annually held festival is located right on Venice Beach, and is a great way to view many of the shark's teeth found in the area, as well as shark jaws, stingray teeth, stingray jaws, and many more ocean artifacts on display.
Live music and the delicious smell of local food vendors waft through the many tents containing local artisanal crafts, jewelery and sea-related fares.
While this Venice Beach essential has been cancelled for 2021 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, be sure to check again next year when it's expected to be back in full swing.
This fascinating beach is home to incredible real estate options as well. Contact Gulf Shores Realty for information on Venice real estate today!