Megladon Shark Teeth search techniques

[heelsfaninpa]

Hi everyone.

I am going on my first Megladon Shark Teeth trip at one of the NC coast ledges this coming week. For those of you who have been before, what are the different search techniques used to find the teeth?

If any tools are required, I would like get them early this week prior to the trip.

Thanks!

 

[SPEARIT]

The most important aspect of finding teeth is being able to recognize them. Once most of the divers, I get on the boat can spot teeth they do very well. There is a video on my website, Home, that may help you see teeth. When you find a tooth, keep looking around that spot there will be more.
Having run one or two tooth trips, i have seen about all the "tools" come on my boat and nothing works as well as a good eye and hand-fanning the bottom. That is until you use a good scooter to cover lots of bottom and heavier fanning.
Good Luck

 

[Lee Taylor]

My experience is mostly in the Cooper River in Charleston SC. I have probably done over 60 fossil dives. Maybe I can help. The things I steer away from are "hard bottom" and "pure sand". The things I like to find that tell me I am in the right neighborhood are fossilized bone and shell. Fossilized bone is usually black and very hard. When you rap a fossilized bone with another it rings or pings almost like hard glass. Fossilized shell tends to be grayish in color (I will post a photo). Fossilized shell will feel much heavier than a current shell. You will notice that some fossilized shells take on an aggressive and primitive looking form. I have heard that a grayish, scalloped, hard, fossilized clam shell is a good indicator that one is searching in the right areas. When I find lots of pieces of black fossilized bone and black rock (expecially if it is embedded in gray clay or phosphate) I know I am in a good area. The Megalodon Sharks teeth are in the layers of the earth called the Hawthorne and the Chandler Bridge. Where ever these layers are exposed to the surface, you will find sharks teeth there. Look for triangular shapes. (sharks teeth) Much of the time, most of the tooth will be burried, and only a corner will be sticking out of the bottom. Sometimes running your hand across the bottom, even with a glove on, you will feel the sharp point sticking out of the bottom. Fanning the bottom with your hand or a ping pong paddle is a great way to uncover teeth. Note that heavy things tend to gravitate towards each other as time passes.

Here are some photos of a fossil I found last season (2008) offshore Myrtle Beach. Note the grayish color and primitive/aggressive design. It is very heavy and hard as a rock. I found it where quite a number of shells had gravitated over time. I fanned the sand with my hand. I dug and dug and suddenly it showed itself. I knew what it was when I saw it. I knew what I had found. Its a cool hobby. Enjoy!

 

[heelsfaninpa]

Lee and Spearit,
Thanks for the advice. I had a great day of diving, even though it was a little rough. I added a picture below to show you what I found.

Thanks again.

 

[Lee Taylor]

Lee and Spearit,
Thanks for the advice. I had a great day of diving, even though it was a little rough. I added a picture below to show you what I found.

Thanks again.

Thanks for the photo of your finds. I dove the Cooper River today and had great difficulty with the turbidity. Almost completely silted out in three different locations. The first spot we dove was an excellent location called the French Quarter. There was no current and nothing to move the silt downstream. Lots of potential. LOTS of gravel, bones, stones, arrowheads. Found a few teeth. Snaggletooth shark. Tiger shark. Will make photos tomorrow.

Video - Charleston SC - The French Quarter

 

[UNDR H2O]

Lee and Spearit,
Thanks for the advice. I had a great day of diving, even though it was a little rough. I added a picture below to show you what I found.

Thanks again.

What part of NC were you diving in? I'm hoping to make a trip to Myrtle in June and might have to make a little trip north! Were you with a charter?

 

[heelsfaninpa]

What part of NC were you diving in? I'm hoping to make a trip to Myrtle in June and might have to make a little trip north! Were you with a charter?

Yes I went out with Cape Fear Dive Center out of Carolina Beach. It will take you about 90 minutes from North Myrtle to get there. Good bunch of guys and they know where to find the teeth.

We were out 40 miles, even though we had 5+ foot seas. They are hard core and wont let you back on the boat until you have teeth.

If you have any other questions, give let me know.

 

[Randy g]

Nice! I need to make a run down there and find some teeth. How deep are you going to get to the fossils?

 

[heelsfaninpa]

Nice! I need to make a run down there and find some teeth. How deep are you going to get to the fossils?

I logged 109'. I was on the bottom roughly 18 minutes (30% EAN). Everyone was using nitrox, check your computer/dive tables to get the best mix.

Safe diving!

 

[blueabyss007]

Frankie, I work for a charter operation here on the coast of NC and there are three basic techniques for finding them. First is to be taken to a place that hasn't already been pillaged, the second is to develope and eye for spotting them. The most important is last. They are usually near the pockets of whale bones. If you see an area of these bones start digging of fanning around that. They can also be found where there are no bones too. Sometimes they can be deeper than you think (up to 5 or 6 inches below the sand), if you see one on the surface sticking out, don't just grab that one and move on. Start looking in in that imediate area and start digging/fanning in about a 1 to 2 foot radius. I hope this helped.