First trip to Calvert Cliffs Beach!

[Mara_Masina]

Yesterday I scouted Calvert Cliffs Beach to see if my friends would be able to join me on a fossil hunt there. As this was only my third lifetime hunt, I'd only been to Matoaka prior, and wanted to see if the path to the Calvert Beach was accessible enough for a friend using a cane and someone more out of shape than I am. That said, I'm not fit myself, so the 3.6-mile hike to and from the beach was not easy. However, it was gorgeous! 

 

As many people will tell you online, the cliffs at Calvert Beach are not legally accessible; the state park service has closed off access to them due to frequent landslides and therefore little beach space left beneath them to evade a fall. The cliffs there are taller than at Matoaka, making them even more dangerous, and the tide comes in closer to the beach. The remaining fossil hunting space is thus rather limited for hunting, but if you're dedicated and go during the off-season, I'm sure your luck will be better than mine! I was in the water from about 11-3, sifting in the tidal line of shell material and along sunken trees that may have trapped fossils. Attached are a couple photos of my tooth finds, and a picture of the cliff area too.

 

Feel free to ID the teeth; I'm not great at it yet, especially when they're small! I was surprised by the tan tooth since most teeth I've found thus far have been black. Also not entirely sure what the curved tooth came from, though my guesses were either a H. serra symphyseal or a tooth from a sand tiger shark. 

 

Overall, I think I like Matoaka better, but it's hard to say from just one visit. Going to take my friends back to Matoaka or to a new location next weekend. I'll scout out Flag Ponds in December I think, then I've got a fossil club trip in January. Really really really having fun!

[Parthicus]

Thanks for the report.  The curved tooth looks like H. serra to me.  The tan tooth is C. hastalis.  Three triangular teeth are Carcharhinus sp. and the remaining small shark tooth is... some kind of shark (sorry, maybe someone else can ID).  The ray dental plate is Myliobatis.  

[Mara_Masina]

On 11/14/2021 at 5:10 PM, Parthicus said:

Thanks for the report.  The curved tooth looks like H. serra to me.  The tan tooth is C. hastalis.  Three triangular teeth are Carcharhinus sp. and the remaining small shark tooth is... some kind of shark (sorry, maybe someone else can ID).  The ray dental plate is Myliobatis.  

Thanks for replying and IDing! 

Yeeeee, I didn't think I'd be right on the hemi! Funny thing was, I told myself "The beach is pretty busy, so I'll leave after I find a hemi", expecting the teeth situated on the top part of the jaw. I never found what I was looking for, but little did I know that I'd technically fulfilled my own requirement. 

 

So cool that I found a tan white shark tooth in Maryland! Wonder what mineral caused it to come out that color. 

 

The teeth here are pretty worn, no serrations to be seen. Is that typical of this area?

[Searcher78]

Lots of worn teeth, but sometimes you find non-worn ones.

[bthemoose]

Looks like a nice trip! I always enjoy finding the lower Hemis.

[Mara_Masina]

On 11/16/2021 at 8:22 PM, bthemoose said:

Looks like a nice trip! I always enjoy finding the lower Hemis.

They're pretty cool, but I gotta say that I really love the upper ones!