Shark Teeth basics/tips?

[Rosco53]

So, I'm kicking around the idea of taking a road trip. I had worked in NJ for a few years and had always wanted to get to Big Brook, but never made it. Looked into it and stumbled upon a site about the Calvert Cliffs and Wesmoreland park for Fossil shark tooth hunting. VERY appealing, but I've never been, so just looking for any insight on here? How exactly does one do it (just walk the beach, sift, etc), what could someone reasonably expect to find, how many days to spend, that sorta thing. LOVE the idea but want to be realistic and see if it'd be worth the time/money/drive (I live in WI). Nearest thing to me to compare would be the Rockford Fossil Prairie in IA, been there a couple times and loved it but a few shells compared to Shark teeth... Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!!

 

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[Megalodon]

Rosco53,
I just stumbled upon your post. I live about 200 yards from the western shore of Calvert Cliffs. So I can provide some advice. The Calvert Cliffs run from the southern part of Ann Arundel County through the entire Bay side of Calvert County. The same fossil strata are also exposed in the Patuxent River (accessible only by boat) and Potomac River in Virginia - such as the Westmoreland area. Shorewalker posts about his finds more than I do and he has recently posted some fine Mako teeth. It has been a rough year for Megalodon teeth because the beaches have so much sand on them. The teeth erode out of the cliffs and normally, you just pick them up at the water's edge, or at low tide, anywhere on the beach. Some people do cut them out of the cliffs, but it can be hard work, even dangerous. My wife spotted about 1/4 inch last winter sticking out of the cliff and insisted, against my advice, on digging it out with a knife - cutting a large block of the clay around the tooth. That one turned out to be one of our best ever at over 4", but she got repeatedly slammed against the cliff wall by large waves that swept her off her feet. I really don't recommend what she did in those conditions. It is very hard to plan in advance for good conditions. Record rains last year and flooding caused trees at the edge of the cliffs to fall down onto the base of the cliffs. So, where we used to just walk along the beach, now we have to crawl under, climb over, or wade around the many trees. Some are covered with greenbriar thorns or locust spines. The summer in the Coastal Plain is just too hot - and the wind wrong, and I haven't been for over a month, even though its just a beach hike for me. The best season for shark tooth hunting is really fall to early spring. I wade in shorts through October, then hip boots the rest of the year. My hike is 4.2 to 6 miles and that's too much for chest waders. My routine is to leave the house 2 to 2.5 hours before low tide. There's about an hour hike to get to the start of the fossil grounds. I hunt until about 1.5 - 2 hours after low tide and then head home. This is along the cliffs where there is no public access. Our waterfront community has beach access, so its legal. There are many less productive spots that have public access and they are heavily hunted. Calvert Cliffs State Park has a long hike through the woods to reach the beach, but the best spots are posted no trespassing. Further north, Flag Ponds (a county park) is hunted but IMO, it has changed so much over the years, only now produces small teeth. My favorite spot for public access is Bayfront Park (aka "Brownie's Beach") at the southern edge of Chesapeake Beach. There is no admission charge in the season that is best for hunting teeth. It is heavily hunted and has a small parking lot - but has a short walk to the beach and is the only public beach I would hunt in Maryland. I haven't found a Meg tooth there but my son has - at night.

The very best time to hunt is after strong wind from the W-NW - at least 20 knots for at least 8-10 hours, and the longer the better. The wind determines water level more than tide, and we call these events "blowouts". They make hunting much easier because you can easily get around the trees, and so much more bottom is exposed. Even blowouts can be unpredictable if there is too much sand on the beach - like there is right now. Locals flock to the beach during the blowout.

You'll see pics on the internet of large Megalodons - but they can be hard to find. I typically find an average of about 50 small teeth over a 4 hour hunt, some so small they fall through the mesh of the sand dippers I use.

If you make a road trip, send me a PM and I'll be happy to take you to my private access fossil grounds - or to Bayfront Park.

 

[Megalodon]

Oh, about the use of sieves for sifting: Yes, I have seen people successfully use sieves but its really only done by those who have mobility issues and disabilities. They do find teeth, but not as many, and they and small. Typically, they sit in one of those very low beach chairs right at the water's edge.