Where Are Megalodon Teeth Found? Global Locations Guide
Fossil Megalodon teeth are found all over the world. Some locations produce exceptionally large or well-preserved specimens due to unique geological and sedimentary conditions.
North America - Florida Locations
Venice, Florida: Venice is well known as the shark tooth capital of the world, and rightfully so. You can find a plethora of fossil shark teeth just by walking the beaches or sifting for them in the water. However, to find truly large teeth, scuba diving is often required. There are normally three different varieties of Megalodon teeth found in this location: the standard Venice Beach tooth (top), a beautiful Manasota Beach tooth (middle), and the rare, highly sought-after Golden Beach tooth (bottom). Each megalodon tooth has its own unique characteristics.
Your typical Venice Beach megalodon tooth will have your classic gray/bluish enamel, black bourlette, and root. Serrations on these meg teeth can be sharp or worn due to the constant wave action and currents along the ocean floor.
For Manasota Beach megalodon teeth, these can have beautiful bourlettes. Some even have brown roots that contrast beautifully with their typical blue/gray enamels and colorful bourlettes. Nicknamed "Chocolate Top", megalodon teeth.
Finally, Golden Beach megalodon teeth. These meg teeth are fresh out of the clay layer and hold some of the best preservation for ocean teeth. They get their name from the beautiful, almost golden/tan roots and bourlettes, and often have a beautiful blue enamel with sharp and distinct serrations. These megalodon teeth often resemble Bone Valley megs because they technically come out of the same layer, which extends into the Gulf.
Some popular local Venice, Florida charters include:
- Aquanutz Diving
- Black Gold Fossil Charters
- DustyDiscoveries Fossil Charters
- Top2Bottom Offshore Charters
The Peace River, Florida: The Peace River is another well-known area to find megalodon teeth and other fossils. This location is especially popular for individuals or families who are just getting into the hobby. With the seemingly endless creeks branching off the Peace River, the chances of finding a Megalodon tooth can be fairly good. This is especially true if you find an area that has not been explored yet. However, most Megalodon teeth from the Peace River tend to be smaller, are often brown, gray, or black in color, and are usually worn or broken.
For those who are looking for some great charters to take you out on the Peace River or adjacent creeks, I'd highly recommend the two businesses below:
Bone Valley (Central), Florida: Bone Valley is a region of central Florida that encompasses portions of present-day Hardee, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Polk counties. The area is heavily mined for phosphate used in agricultural fertilizer production. Megalodon teeth from this location often display a wide range of colors, including blues, blacks, grays, oranges, greens, and even white. The classic Bone Valley coloration is usually a bone white root with a blue blade. The orange, green, multicolored, and black teeth with white roots are usually considered to be more on the rare side and tend to be pricier. Unfortunately, Megalodon teeth can no longer be legally collected from this location. Trespassing within the mines can result in hefty fines and felony charges.
Suwannee River, Florida: Located in North Western Florida, the Suwannee River produces some of the most uniquely colored megalodon teeth in the whole state. The deposits that produce shark teeth on the Suwannee are either late Eocene or early Oligocene. As a result, finding Megalodon teeth from the Suwannee River is extremely rare. In fact, the owner of the tooth shown above has only documented two Megalodon teeth from this river over many years of hunting and collecting. The rest have been nothing but large auriculatus shark teeth. An ancestor of the megalodon shark.
Gainesville, Florida: Gainesville is another well-known area in Florida that produces some very colorful megalodon teeth. The fossil shark teeth that you generally find here are all found digging in creeks that usually cut through neighborhoods throughout the area. Unfortunately, fossil hunting in this area was recently banned due to people digging into the creek banks, which caused erosion. So if you're caught using tools digging in the creeks for that colorful megalodon tooth, you will be fined or sent to jail. Again, not worth the trouble. However, this does not mean you cannot still find fossil shark teeth by carefully scooping gravel in creeks by hand.
Seminole Springs, Florida: Seminole Springs is a small town in northern Florida that is now fully developed with houses, parks, schools, etc. During the town’s development, fossil Megalodon teeth and other shark teeth were occasionally found while retention ponds were being excavated. This specific juvenile megalodon tooth is from that time when the town was being developed. To my knowledge, you can no longer find megalodon teeth from this location unless new construction happens.
White Springs, Florida: White Springs is a small town in northern Florida that is now fully developed with houses, parks, schools, etc as well. Similar to Seminole Springs, fossil shark teeth, including Megalodon teeth, were occasionally found in retention ponds during periods of development. This specific juvenile megalodon tooth is from that time when the town was being developed.
St. Augustine, Florida: A fossil megalodon tooth from a different and very rare location in Florida. In this part of North Florida, the Miocene fossil deposits are deep and are almost never naturally exposed. Which is why megalodon teeth from this location are so rare to come by. These teeth were found years ago when a digging operation uncovered a single fossil deposit at a depth of roughly 80 feet. The deposit was worked out and did not continue, so these are no longer being found. All megalodon teeth from this location have been left uncleaned to show the unusual characteristics (mostly attached limestone), which is almost never seen on fossil shark teeth this age from other locations. A very cool & unique location for Florida.
North America - Georgia Locations
Savannah, Georgia: Teeth from this location can only be found while diving. They are typically recovered at depths ranging from 30 to 80 feet, where visibility is often limited to just a few inches. As a result, most collectors rely on feeling for teeth rather than spotting them visually, unlike in places such as Venice, Florida.
The St. Mary’s River: This is another diving location that’s located on the Florida-Georgia borderline. Teeth recovered from this river are normally beaten up, broken, or heavily worn. However, when intact specimens are found, their color and overall quality can be absolutely incredible. The typical colors from the St. Mary’s River include reds, browns, tans, bluish grays, and blacks.
North America Locations - South Carolina
Beaufort, South Carolina: Similar to Georgia, these teeth are normally found in rivers with very low visibility. Collectors often have to feel around for teeth with only inches of visibility along the river bottom. On top of that, there is the potential presence of alligators or bull sharks. Despite these challenges, teeth from this location are typically more common than in other areas.
Gold Site, South Carolina: This specific site, located in South Carolina, was found accidentally by a couple of divers. Megalodon teeth recovered from this site were often worn or damaged, but they displayed striking golden and bluish coloration. Because of this distinctive coloration, the location became known as The Gold Site.
Battery Creek, South Carolina: Battery Creek is a location that branches off from the main river that cuts through Beaufort, South Carolina. Like the main river it branches from, Battery Creek is very dark, and collectors typically have to feel for the Megalodon teeth they are searching for. However, the teeth recovered from this location are often extremely well-preserved, beautiful, and sharp.
Summerville, South Carolina: Unlike other South Carolina locations, most, if not all, fossil Megalodon teeth from Summerville are found on land sites or in nearby creeks. Teeth found on land are most commonly recovered from construction sites where new homes, parks, or commercial areas are being developed.
Ashepoo River, South Carolina: Like many rivers in South Carolina, the Ashepoo River has extremely low visibility, and nearly all finds are made by feel rather than sight. The river is also considered dangerous to dive in due to the large amount of downed trees and submerged debris. Because of both the danger and rarity, fossil Megalodon teeth from this location can often command higher prices than those found near Beaufort.
Blue Site, South Carolina: This is another location that was found by accident by a group of fossil hunters who were scouting landsites. This site produced some particularly gorgeous Megalodon teeth with blue and tan coloration. Since then, the site has been built over by homes, and no new Megalodon teeth are currently coming from this location.
Fire Site, South Carolina: This specific site produces some gorgeous megalodon teeth. The coloration of these teeth resembles a burning fire, which is how the site earned its name. This site is located within a specific stretch of river, and the roots of the teeth are often worn down and soft. As a result, most teeth from this site typically require some level of restoration to the root.
North America Locations - North Carolina
Lee Creek, North Carolina: Known for producing tan, blue, and cream-colored Megalodon teeth, Lee Creek is a very popular fossil locality. Especially, fossil megalodon teeth. The coloration of these teeth comes from the phosphate-rich sediments in which they fossilized over millions of years. However, they do not get the same coloration as Bone Valley teeth. This location was once open to collectors but has since been closed to the public. Fossil hunting within the mines is now illegal due to safety concerns.
Meg Ledge, North Carolina: Located approximately 30–40 miles off the coast of Wilmington, North Carolina, Meg Ledge is well known for its abundance of commercial-quality Megalodon teeth. These teeth occur in a variety of colors but rarely appear black or gray, unlike some Megalodon teeth found in South Carolina rivers.
Greens Mill Run, North Carolina: Not much is known about this location, including whether this tooth was found in a creek, on land, or in a river. This Megalodon tooth was recovered somewhere within the area and is the only specimen from this location that I am personally aware of.
Meherrin River, North Carolina: The Meherrin River is well known for producing red and orange-toned fossil shark teeth. However, like many rivers in the Carolinas, diving conditions are often poor. Despite the conditions, Megalodon teeth recovered from this river can display absolutely stunning coloration.
North America Locations - Virginia
Virginia River, Virginia: Similar to the Fire Site and the Meherrin River, teeth from the Virginia River can display some incredible coloration. Reds, oranges, blacks, and tans are common, and this multicoloration is heavily sought after by high-end collectors.
Potomac River, Virginia: Not much is known about this river as a fossil locality. This specific Megalodon tooth is one of the very few specimens I am aware of that came from this location. Overall, this is a gorgeous tooth with striking blue and white coloration.
North America Locations - Maryland
Calvert Cliffs, Maryland: Calvert Cliffs is a well-known fossil location in Maryland. The area can be accessed through a designated state park or by boat to reach different sections of beach along the cliffs. Tides must be carefully timed to safely hunt this location.
The area can also be dangerous, as material frequently falls from the cliffs, so collectors should avoid standing too close. Megalodon teeth found here are typically on the smaller side, but larger specimens are occasionally recovered.
North America Locations - California
Bakersfield, California: Bakersfield is one of the few locations in California where fossil Megalodon teeth can be found, along with other shark species such as mako and cow sharks. Teeth recovered from this area can display beautiful coloration and are highly sought after due to their rarity.
Written by: Brandon Zulli, owner of Fossil Driven
Photography by: Brandon Zulli, owner of Fossil Driven
Explore our fossil megalodon collections below:
