When most people think of Florida, the beautiful beaches are one of the first things that come to mind. People think of sand, waves, and fun in the sun. For me, the beach brings to mind one of my favorite things- shark teeth!

Shark teeth hunting is a favorite past time shared with my family and I love teaching my daughter about all the teeth and fossils she can find! I often find people from Flordai who say they’ve never found a shark tooth. My family loves helping newbies out, and I love educating people on how they can join in. So here are my tips for finding your own teeth or fossils on your next beach trip.

• Timing

You can go any time of the year which is another thing I love about shark teeth hunting.  Whether the hot summer or chilly winter, the beach can be enjoyed and the hunt is on! It’s the time of day that plays a bigger part for me. The tides switch between high and low every 6 hours. We have our best luck at low tide so try going 1-2 hours before low tide (google low tide for your beach) so the water is pulling back while you search. It gives us a wide space of sand to explore and it exposes a nice new layer of beach cleaned by the waves.

• Prioritize

You can occasionally find a shark tooth sitting prettily on a smooth span of empty sand, but I tend to have the best luck in the clusters of shells that gather in spots at random. No surprise, there will be thousands of shells in these groups so focus on two things.

1. Color. Though shark teeth may come in a variety of colors (white, brown, gray, black), most are black. I focus on that color against the majority of white and tan sand and shells.
2. Shape. Look for triangles and points. If you have not noticed, teeth are pointy! Narrowing your search to black triangles will hopefully help look for the tooth among the shells.

• Take it slow

There are a lot of teeth out there but they are hiding. It’s a game of Eye Spy. Take a deep breath and enjoy the sand between your toes as as you search the sand for a prize. You never know…you may find “the big one”!!

Tips #1 You never know where shark teeth will show up, but you may want to try less populated areas that have had less human activity for more luck. Try a local park with beach access to explore instead of the busy beach full of spring breakers.

Tip #2 Don’t forget to bring something to carry your treasures. Our family recycles old gum and mint containers which are perfect to not lose a tiny tooth you try keeping in your pocket.

As I mentioned before, besides shark teeth, you can find sting ray barbs , puffer fish mouth plates, and vertebras!

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Get out there and enjoy this beautiful word! It is a wonderful way to spend quality time and teach our children something new without spending a dime! Do not forget to keep the beach clean so we can enjoy it for generations to come.