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Bonita Springs Christmas


Steve D.

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Hey all!!! Been a long time since I posted on the actual site. I'm doing Christmas in Bonita Springs, Florida this year and would love to do some shark tooth hunting. I'm not familiar with Florida fossils at all. SO! I'm starting my research and thought I would take in any recommendations to work around. 

 

let me know and I'll share!!! 

 

Thanks! 

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If you're in Bonita Springs you're not too far from Venice beach where you could either beach comb and find smaller stuff or go diving for megalodon teeth and other fossils further out. The Peace River is another well known area for people to hunt and is probably an hour or so away. Don't forget to get a permit as well.

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PaleoNoel has good suggestions. If it is a vacation, just look at the landscape "rock" at the facility you stay at. It will be 99% fossil shells, if you are into that. I am!!!! There are guides that take you out on the Peace and finds will be substantially better than the beach.

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16 hours ago, PaleoNoel said:

If you're in Bonita Springs you're not too far from Venice beach where you could either beach comb and find smaller stuff or go diving for megalodon teeth and other fossils further out. The Peace River is another well known area for people to hunt and is probably an hour or so away. Don't forget to get a permit as well.

Thanks Noel! Do you know if I will need waders for Peace River? When I hunted in Maryland and GMR, those came in handy. I can build a sifter when I get there. 

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52 minutes ago, Steve D. said:

if I will need waders

I usually visit the Peace River in January or February. I have never needed anything but a swimsuit, though the native Floridians sometimes wear a neoprene covering. The better stuff comes from deeper holes, so often waders would be contraindicated. 

 

Mike

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That is great recommendations... especially from an OSU fan ;)-

 

I may look into neoprene... When I was at GMR I wore water sandals but the creek was heavily polluted. 

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1 hour ago, Steve D. said:

I may look into neoprene... When I was at GMR I wore water sandals but the creek was heavily polluted. 

Being from New England, my tolerance to cold water is quite high. I found that the river was pleasant when I hunted in it back in February 2018, but to each their own. I also didn't do much diving (although I would like to try that going forward as that seems to pay off big time) and mostly stuck to sifting. I didn't find anything big, with my heaviest finds being some dugong ribs, but I did find many small shark teeth along with some more interesting pieces like a snake vertebra, two armadillo osteoderms (one from the extant nine-banded and another from the giant Holmesina) and my best find from the trip, a small but complete talon from some type of raptor.

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Coming down for vacation I would recommend a guided hunt of the Peace River.  There are a few different guides that can be found on line with a search of something like Peace River fossil hunting.  A couple of years ago I went with Fred Mazza of Paleo Discoveries and had great success on two different hunts.  Best part for someone on vacation is that he supplies everything you need for the day - canoe, shovel, sifter,etc.  All you need to bring is your lunch.  Being a Florida resident for the past 4 years I do use a 5mm Farmer John wetsuit when hunting in the Peace River in winter (Dec, Jan, Feb).  Its not so much the water temp but the effect of the wind on a wet shirt as you stand in the river all day.  Good Luck!

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