Did you know that a shark can lose 20,000 to 50,000 teeth during a lifetime? According to National Geographic, sharks are constantly losing hundreds or even thousands of teeth at a time as the teeth break or dull and it explains why finding a shark tooth on a beach isn’t a dreadfully difficult task. Although, it may not be impossible or even incredibly difficult, it doesn’t take away from the excitement of pulling out that sought-after shark tooth from the water. That’s what I happily found out when I went shark tooth hunting at Mickler’s Beach in Ponte Vedra, Florida!
Mickler’s Beach, a public beach with stretches of pink coquina sand just two blocks east of State Road A1A, is known to be a great spot to find modern day shark teeth as well as fossilized teeth! Shark teeth are abundant in this area so hunting for shark teeth can be enjoyed year-round. However, the best time to search for shark teeth is early in the morning before an area has been picked over, during low tide, and after a storm due to the crashing of the waves which reveal shark teeth that have been hidden underneath layers of sand. So after three consecutive days of storms, we decided to try our hand at searching for shark teeth!
Looking for shark teeth can be as involved as using a sifter designed specifically for hunting for shark teeth to just picking up sand in the palm of your hand! It is recommended to look for shark teeth along the shore or waterline. Also, venturing into the drop zone, where the sand drops by an inch, can be a promising area to search for shark teeth. Shark teeth can be white, black, brown, or even have a red tone so shark tooth hunters need to keep an eye out for the triangular shape along with a glossy patina too. They say once you find one shark tooth, more are close by! You’re most likely to find black fossilized teeth while hunting on Mickler’s Beach. Regardless of how many you find, the fun continues after the hunt as you identify what kind of shark teeth you found! Tiger sharks, mako, and great white shark teeth are common but you can get assistance from a shark identification guide online or a printed guide to correctly identify your finds!v
Check out our experience hunting for shark teeth on Mickler’s Beach Landing as well as all of our finds here!