With it being the 30th Annual Shark Week, we knew we couldn’t let this week pass without a recap of our trip a few weeks ago to the Shark Tooth Capital of the WORLD! Venice Beach, FL is known for it’s overwhelming count of shark teeth that have been sifted from the sand for decades. We usually pack for a trip down to the beautiful West Coast beaches a few times each summer and come home with jars full of shark teeth! The boys love it but, over the years we’ve found that pining for black gold isn’t always easy with small kids in tow so, I’m here with a few things to help you get the most out of your visit!
First thing’s first, although Venice Beach by name is known for having the most shark teeth, it’s also one of the busiest in it’s area. Not only is it crowded but, it’s sand has also been rejuvenated over the years so, finding teeth these days, aren’t as easy as when we were kids. If your goal is primarily to sift for shark teeth, I recommend skipping Venice Beach and heading a little more south to Manasota Key or Blind Pass Park!
Next, you’ll need your shark hunting gear. Okay, okay, not really but, you will need a few things:
- Sifter
- Sunscreen
- Hat
- Water Shoes aren’t a bad idea
- Collection bag or cup (without holes so, no mesh)
We bought an actual “Shark Tooth Sifter” from a small shop in Venice during our first trip but, it’s not necessary. They’re made of a wire mesh, PVC, and pool noodles. They can get pretty heavy for kids when filled with wet sand and shells but, our Dollar Tree sand sifters work like a charm and were only a buck so, we bought one for each of the boys!
Some of the beaches are covered in shell sand so, walking up and down the beach can get painful on your feet. Sandals or water shoes are awesome for littles to keep them happy, patient, and comfortable!
Make sure whatever you’re bringing to collect your teeth in isn’t full of holes. Mesh bags are great for large shells but, you’ll be bummed when you start finding tiny little teeth only look down in your bag and notice you’ve lost your collection through the holes! We carry a small plastic jar, Itzy Ritzy pouch, or heavy duty zipping ziplock baggy!
The trouble with having zero experience or having never hunted for shark teeth before, is that it’s easy to assume you’ll be able to simply walk down to the water’s break, fill your sifter, and shake while tons of teeth show themselves through the sand. It can be that easy but, that’s not always the case.
The thing is, some of the beaches are rocky in the water, and others, the water breaks really hard but, don’t let that discourage you! More than half of our shark teeth are found in the dry sand. Seriously! Within the first hour of these last few trips, I had to sit with little Linc on a towel to keep him shaded under our umbrella and found more teeth sifting through the dry sand and shells than both boys and hub found in the water’s edge and wet sand!
We look forward to our Shark Teeth hunting trips every year! The boys have collected about 300 shark teeth already this summer and spend their days examine them with magnifying glasses and trying to decipher which teeth came from which species of shark!
We want to know if you’ve added Shark Teeth Hunting to your bucket list! Let us know below!
