Search the Community

I had some time to get back out to the cliffs on Saturday, the wind was rough and it was calling for rain after 10am, so kayaking wasn’t an option and I wanted to be off the beach before the rain got bad. I parked and walked down to the beach a half hour before sunrise to begin my search. As expected the water was very rough, and very murky. I knew I wouldn’t be able to find much of anything below the tide line, and it would be hard to be able to grab something out of the wash before another wave hit. I moved quickly checking the higher shell line and found some decent teeth but nothing to special, until I found what would have been a nice megalodon but a large chunk of the tip was missing, I also found a nice epiphysis disk and shark vertebra before turning around. I didn’t know what my luck would be like on the walk back but I was still hopeful the rough water would wash up something great. Then I got my find of the day when a 1.81” hastalis washed up in front of me. Before getting back to the truck a got another heartbreaking megalodon fragment and another nice hastalis. The conditions were rough, and I was getting a little aggravated feeling like I was missing so much, it also didn’t help that the waves were soaking me even with my waders. Non the less it’s always good to get out and check the beach when I can because you never know which wave will wash up that find of a lifetime. Thanks for reading y’all, until next time!

I hit the beach early this morning hoping for a nice low tide and calm, clear water. That wasn’t the case, the water was choppy and murky and the tide was a lot higher than I expected. None the less I treaded on and stumbled on a little 1.32” meg tumbling in the wash. Continuing I found a small handful of little teeth and a nice epiphysis disk with a 2” diameter before turning around. With the water being rough I was still hopeful something nice would wash out in front of me. Then I spot my biggest heartbreaker of the season, the tip of what would have been a large meg. The tip alone was 1.62” with a gorgeous brown color; comparing it with my 4” meg back home it looks like the tooth could have been of similar size. I begin checking through the debris of fresh falls before heading back to the truck and I’m glad I did. I spot a pretty 1.9” meg sitting on top of a debris pile. Definitely pulled the trip together and made the most of non-ideal conditions. But regardless if what I find I always enjoy a walk along the shoreline looking for prehistoric treasures. Thanks for reading y’all until next time!

Me and my girlfriend got back out to the Calvert Cliffs to do some hunting again yesterday, a resident with beach access has started to allow me to park and walk down to a good stretch of beach, saving us from needed to kayak there for access.(Although I love kayaking the bay it’s nice to get a break sometimes) we got to the beach a little after sunrise to begin to search. The water was a little high but it was calm and relatively clear, and there was a really thick shell line on the beach, so I was hopeful for some good finds. First find of the day my girlfriend found a really nice lower cow shark tooth that had settled on top of the shell line. As we continued on, I was searching the water and shell line while dragging my scoop behind me. I lifted my scoop and looked in to see a lower symphyseal cow shark tooth! As I went to look a little closer it fell through the mesh on my scoop, I shouted and dove on top of it. It’s .53” wide and is missing most of the root but the blade is complete. A little further down the beach I found a nice epiphysis disk with a .7” diameter, strangely most of my complete epiphysis disks I’ve found have been within 20yrds of that spot. Things slowed down for a little but we were still finding a lot of nice sized Physogaleus teeth. We passed and chatted with a couple other groups of fossil hunters, thinking now our finds would thin out even more, I was proven wrong when a large 1.5” hemipristis and a micro megalodon wash out in front of me. As we neared some fresh cliff falls the water clarity got worse, but a wave at the right time gave me the water clarity I needed to spot a beautiful 1.83” megalodon/chubutensis out in the water. The walk back fossil finds were few and far between but we did spot a Belted Kingfisher and a Bald Eagle which can be just as nice sometimes. It was another great day out along the Calvert Cliffs. I’m thank for anytime I get to spend at the beach but, finds like today, bird sightings and chatting with other people passionate about the same thing really make me appreciate being able to do this. Until next time y’all, thanks for reading!

Picked this one up at a rock shop when I was back in Philadelphia over Christmas. The lady working that day said this piece was bought by the owner with a bunch of dino bones (mostly vertebra) that the finder said was from Montana. No other info. The vertebra that were in the box with this were definitely dino, but in rough shape, so I didn't grab any. This is 13cm x 11cm x 8 mm thick. It is solidly lithified, and resembles agate. Based upon shape, my first thought was epiphysis, but do reptiles have those? Then I wondered if it were a whale epiphysis mixed in with the dino material inadvertently. But it is agate and very solid, which is unlike any cetacean epiphysis that I've seen. The patterning on the front and back also don't remind me of the cetacean epiphysises (epipysisi?) that I've seen. The texture does indeed remind me of dino bone. So then I wondered if it were a dermal scute. Thoughts?

For my last hunt of 2023 I got back out to the Calvert cliffs, launching my kayak a little after sunrise I made right to the beach. The water was still a little high when I arrived (I feel like it’s been higher on average this year) but I found a nice shark vertebrae and a 1.62” hastalis before low tide. Finding a few smaller teeth for most of the walk, I then at the end of the beach where I normally turn around found a nice epiphysis disk, sitting out in the water. Now for my walk back the water was nice and low, and freshly washed out, sitting on the water line was a gorgeous 1.78” Megalodon! The root is starting to wear, but the blade is perfect, great serrations, tip and all! Continuing back I find a nice tympanic bulla (whale ear bone) my first on this beach. Last but not least as I return to my kayak, sitting about two feet away is an amazing upper cow shark tooth! A lot of variety for the day in addition to the normal shark teeth finds, another great trip and a great way to end the year! Thanks for reading, see y’all next year!

Any ideas what this bone is? I found it on Casey Key, FL near Venice Beach. Looks modern. Thinking maybe an astragalus or epiphysis of a bone?

I just posted some colorful small shark teeth I found yesterday, but also went out Saturday. I had a number of finds which were small and I was not certain of their identification... 1) An Epiphysis, which I think is a long bone "cap" for a juvenile mammal. Which bone? 2.) A possible claw... Could this be bear ? 3) Looks like a Carpal or Tarsal, but not one that I have seen. VERY light in weight. 4) An odd Alligator or Crocodile Osteoderm. On the left of the 2nd photo, there is a flat section on the left edge, and then the increased slope to the center. possibly imagination, but it seems different from the average gator osteoderm. 5) Finally , a very small fossil and definitely unknown to me Any comments and suggestions greatly appreciated... Jack

Mmmm...mmmm, One of my favorites. Only the 3rd complete one I have ever found and in pristine condition!! I also found some very nice shark teeth but this was the highlight of the trip.