You're Likely To Find Prehistoric Shark Teeth At This Gorgeous Florida Beach
Caspersen Beach in Venice, Florida, is certainly a gorgeous place to lie on the sand and listen to the waves, but Florida has no shortage of beautiful beaches to relax on. What sets Caspersen Beach apart is the staggering number of shark tooth fossils it contains. People come from all over to look for signs of ancient ocean predators buried in the sand.
Florida is home to some of the most famous beaches in the world, but none can compete with Caspersen Beach when it comes to shark teeth fossils. Venice, Florida, has been called the "Shark Tooth Capital of the World" because the sands of Caspersen and the other surrounding beaches are full of little pointy black fossils that were once the teeth of ancient sharks. Visitors flock to Venice on a yearly basis to celebrate The Venice Sharks Tooth Festival, but you don't have to wait until April to explore the beach.
These fossils date back to a time when the area that is now Sarasota, Florida, was nothing but sea. While that was millions of years ago, the teeth of the sharks that lived there can still be found under the ocean by Caspersen Beach, and over time, they wash up on the shore. Just keep an eye on ocean conditions if you're going in the water, as there can be rip currents. Never ignore a yellow flag!
You can take the prehistoric shark teeth home
In general, the rule of finders' keepers does not apply to fossils. Usually, if you think you've found ancient bones or historical artifacts, you should leave them where they are and let the closest natural history museum know so that professionals can investigate. However, this is not the case with Florida's shark tooth fossils.
Because there are so many shark tooth fossils in Florida, they don't all need to be preserved and studied for scientific research, so you're free to keep any that you find – as long as you aren't searching for them on somebody else's private property! The only exception to this is digging. You aren't allowed to go into Florida state parks and start tearing up the grass, looking for shark teeth. Fortunately, combing through the sand on Caspersen Beach is allowed, so you're welcome to take your basket of prehistoric shark teeth home with you when you leave.
How to find shark tooth fossiles on the beach
There are so many shark tooth fossils at Caspersen Beach that if you go for a walk and keep your eyes on the sand, you will probably spot a few without even trying. Those serious about bringing home a treasure trove of fossil teeth have a different method: they sift through the sand. First, you grab a bucketful of sand from just below the waves and bring it back onto the beach. Then, you pour that sand through your sifter.
A sifter is essentially a stretched-out piece of mesh, which you can order online or make yourself. However, if you drive five minutes to The Venice Fishing Pier at Brohard Park before you start, you can rent a special sifting basket with a handle from Papa's Bait Shop. When you pour your sand into the sifter, it flows through the mesh, while larger objects get caught. You could end up with a pile of seashells, rocks, and seaweed, but in Venice, Florida, chances are you'll also find many fossilized shark teeth.