By Jacob Lowenthal
Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, the beach has become an increasingly appealing getaway from the stresses of everyday life. While most people view beachgoing as just swimming or chilling in the sand, many people have not experienced the thrill of searching for treasures buried in the shell beds and shallow waters. From shells to sharks teeth, there is always hidden gems to be found.
When it comes to sharks’ teeth hunting, many people say they aren’t good at it or don’t know how to. While it of course may be difficult starting out, anyone can do it. The key to shark tooth hunting is when you go and where you look. The best time to look for sharks’ teeth is during low tide in the shell beds. At this point, all the shell beds will be exposed and the freshly washed up teeth will be hidden inside. The quickest way to spot a tooth is to look for a blackish triangle amongst the shells. Once you find one, it will be much easier to find more now that you know what you’re looking for. The teeth that are found on the beach are from many different species. The most common sharks teeth found on our beaches are sand tiger teeth, mako teeth, lemon teeth, thresher teeth, bull teeth, hemipristis teeth, and hammerhead teeth. All of these teeth that you find on the beaches are estimated to be about 10,000 years old, and are fossilized. If you find a sharks tooth, chances are that that shark has been swimming with the plesiosaurs.
As for beautiful shells, a massive variety can be found on our local beaches. The most common of shells are donax shells, scallop shells, and coquina shells. Donax shells and coquina shells are very small, but can be found in a large variety of colors. Some of the largest you can find are conch shells and welch shells, which always will make your beach trip if found whole. Sand dollars are also great finds among the shells, and even bones can be found in the sand. When looking for shells, beauty is in the eye of the beholder as there are shells of every shape and color. If you find one that you particularly love, you can make a necklace out of it or, if it is big enough, use it to hold something such as your car keys.
When it comes to searching the beaches for nature’s keepsakes, you never know what you are going to find. Everyone enjoys doing different things at the beach, but if you are going to go for a walk you might as well be looking down and find some nice items to take home and be proud of.
