Hunting for the elusive shark’s teeth is a popular past time on Folly Beach
by Jenny Peterson | Current Staff Writer
I’ve lived in Charleston for more 20 years—four years on Folly Beach—and even though I have tried many, many times, I had yet to find a shark’s tooth on the shoreline.
For years, I’ve been envious of the beachcombers who posted images on social media of handfuls of centimeter-length triangular black shark’s teeth they found embedded in the sand among chipped shells. (Many of which are black and triangular-shaped, that have fooled me into thinking I had finally unearthed a fossil).
I’ve long asked, how do people find these shark’s teeth among the six miles of shoreline? Do I not have the patience for it? Do I need a stronger sunglasses prescription?
And why are they black?
To answer these important questions, I called on Ashby Gale, owner and paleontologist with the Charleston Fossil Adventures Team who promised me that under his guidance, I was guaranteed to find at least one shark’s tooth and other types of fossils I didn’t even know washed ashore on Folly Beach include whale or dolphin bone and a fossilized piece of a turtle shell. Gale said he’s even found a tooth from a saber-tooth cat.
While Charleston Fossil Adventures has a large boat to take groups out to secret islands for unspoiled fossil hunting as well as a prehistoric plantation cruise in West Ashley, we met on third block West on Folly Beach on a Monday afternoon. Gale’s mission? To prove that even the biggest skeptic can find a tooth.
His most valuable tip was to explain how and why shark’s teeth are black—because of the black phosphorous stone that fossilized/mineralized them and that they are between 3-5 million years old. They’re plentiful in the wild ocean; sharks lose several to tens of thousands in their lifetime, Gale said.
“If the (fossilizing) rock is a light color, the fossil is going to be a light color. If the rock is super dark, the teeth are going to be super dark black,” Gale said.
He picked up a jet-black round phosphorous pebble—there were many on the shore—and said that was the black color I should be looking for and I began using it for reference, holding it out among the shells that collected in a line on the beach, almost like I was matching a paint swatch.
“That is the darkest black that you can find,” he said.
I could clearly see a difference between the black shells and the black phosphorus rock and it unlocked a piece of the puzzle for it. Speaking of, “puzzle” is a great word to describe the adventure.
“Finding shark’s teeth is the biggest Where’s Waldo puzzle ever,” Gale said.
Gale said that the proliferation of shark’s teeth on Folly Beach is due to a beach renourishment in 2014 that brought gravely, sediment sand to the shoreline for erosion control. The next renourishment may bury the existing fossils so now is a good time to hunt.
For an hour and about a two-block radius, Gale unheartened many fossils, including a fossilized whale or dolphin bone and even a horse’s tooth. He referenced the treasures in a field guide he co-wrote with his family about the different teeth and shells found along East Coast beaches of all shapes and sizes from sharks of all shapes and sizes, including reef sharks, sand sharks and lemon sharks.
But back to shark’s teeth.
I couldn’t find one in the first 10 minutes and felt hope blow away with the wind.
“Don’t worry. I’m going to help train your eyes quicker than you would be on your own,” Gale said.
He then gave me quite a handicap; he outlined a box in the sand and told me there was a shark’s tooth in that box. I happily took the crutch. In the far left corner of the box, I saw a phosphorus-black triangular shaped tooth, under an inch long, tucked under a shell.
“I FOUND IT!” I explained and Gale grinned and I admired it’s smooth shape, it’s line of teeth along the side, took a photo immediately.
Finding just one gave me the confidence to keep looking. Yes, I needed to crouch down to see, whereas some people with trained eyes can find teeth while standing up, but I was energized by my find.
I scanned the area with the phosphorus rock to match up the colors.
Gale said that he’s had much more luck finding teeth by combing the shore where the shells have built up rather than taking a scoop in his hand and sorting through the shells.
“I’ve done side by side comparisons of sifting for 15 minutes and searching with my eyes for 15 minutes. I found 68 teeth by looking with my eyes. And I found three by sifting,” Gale said. “So it’s genuinely worth your time to (scan).”
We walked further down the beach towards the Folly Beach County Park where the thicker, tighter line of shells gave off a halo of orange. I crouched down again. Within three minutes, I found another shell, exclaimed again and took an obligatory photo for social media.
“Any time after high tide you’re going to have that nice 12-hour window to search,” Gale said. “Some beaches you want to be there an hour after high tide because that’s when everything’s uncovered.”
At the beginning of the hunt, Gale asked me if I had a small bag in which to put my loot, and I almost laughed at the idea that I would find a single tooth let alone multiple items to bring home. But by the end of the hunt, my bag was filled with teeth, fossilized clam shells and more. I found four total teeth, all from reef sharks, per Gale’s field guide.
I’m now a bona fide fossil hunter, dominating the shark’s tooth hunting hobby that eluded me for so long.
As a bonus, we found a white shark’s tooth—a rare find indicative of a recent shark tooth loss—and I learned a lot about fossils and sea life as well.
“Every day is unique. Every day is different and every beach is different. Every 12 hours we have a new tide,” Gale said. Twice a day, new treasures await.
For more information or to purchase a copy of the Beachcomber’s Guide to Fossils, visit www.chsfossiladventures.com.
TIPS FOR FINDING SHARK’S TEETH
• Look for rich black teeth, a lot of black debris together
• Pick up a phosphorus pebble for color comparison
• Hunt in thick, gravely areas that have a big buildup of shells
• Combing is more successful than sifting through a handful
• Don’t discount other fossils!
• While they are a T-shape, look more for long and skinny shapes rather than a symmetrical T
