Beachcombing for shells, glass, and driftwood is the most famous find, although fossils can also be found in the sand. Finding fossils is a rare activity that combines time spent outside with learning about our ancient history.
Rather than traveling to remote places of Montana or elsewhere in search of a raptor skeleton or other fossilized remnants, one can wade into the river with a sieve and shovel – or even just their hands – and begin searching for ancient objects.
Fossilized shark teeth are common along many public beaches and are an inexpensive method to start collecting these prehistoric artifacts.
According to experts, these small fossils are typically easier to uncover than more uncommon ones because of their size and availability compared to other sorts of ancient gems that may have been eroded through time.
Beachcombing can be intriguing if you watch for historical artifacts concealed amid the everyday stuff that most people overlook. On any given day, who knows what might wash up?
With some luck and patience, it could be exceptional, such as fossils that look into our planet’s rich past!
Calvert Beach in Maryland is famous for its prehistoric marine fossil finds, none more so than the Megalodon: an extinct species of mackerel shark that existed between 23 million and 3.6 million years ago.
During the Early Miocene and Pliocene epochs, these massive predators roamed the oceans, leaving behind their jaw-droppingly huge teeth as a legacy of their presence.
Some species can grow several inches long, making them a terrifying sight for those who venture into deeper waters.
Molly Sampson, a 9-year-old girl, discovered while wading in Chesapeake Bay on Christmas Day, 2022. Finding evidence of the Megalodon is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity many fossil hunters could only dream of, yet here it was – right before her eyes!
Although there are no longer any living specimens of this enormous species, their legacy lives on through the remnants they have left behind.
Molly Sampson, Alicia Sampson’s daughter, was exploring for fossils on Christmas morning when she saw something she had been expecting to find – a massive Megalodon tooth!
Alicia described the scene, saying Molly was “beyond happy” when she discovered it. She had always wanted to hunt for shark teeth, so much so that she asked for waders built explicitly for a Christmas present.
Molly reached out with both hands, excited to take up her new find. She said she was initially taken aback by the sight of it, too startled and overwhelmed to believe it was real. After all, it wasn’t every day that you came across such a rare and beautiful fossil!
The Calvert Marine Museum was astounded by the fantastic turn of events and complimented Molly’s good fortune. Molly had crawled around beaches for shark teeth since she was a toddler.
And now she was here with a treasure that most people would never have the chance to come across. That was simply incredible!
Instead of keeping her excellent finding to herself, the determined young lady chose to take it to a nearby museum for careful study.
She subsequently reported that the crew at the museum was overjoyed when they saw what she had discovered – a megalodon tooth estimated to be 15 million years old. These fossils are highly unusual, particularly ones as huge as Molly’s.
The Calvert Marine Museum even resorted to social media to express their joy. They advised individuals to contact them if they come across any fascinating fossils while exploring beaches so that they may be appropriately identified and documented.
The museum also emphasized its “First Fossil Friday” program, which assists visitors in identifying anything unusual they may have encountered.
Please let us know if you or anybody you know has ever gone shark tooth hunting! We’d love to know everything! Please share this article with your fossil-hunting friends and family members so they can learn more about Molly’s remarkable story. One day you’ll uncover something as extraordinary as she did!
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